Prelude to a Love Story
by Wildcat Ohrya
Summary: Lily Evans is insane. James is depressed. Sirius is Sirius. Remus is in love. Petunia is annoying. Peter is somewhere. Enough is enough! 5th year, 2nd in MM, some muggles, ENJOY!
1. Prologue

Petal Evans woke to an odd scratching noise. It came from her bedroom window, and was certainly not a branch scraping against the window. The illuminated clock beside her read 5:03am to early for a house call. But not too early for a burglar. Petal wrapped the blanket around her, grabbing the closest object – her clock – to smash on the robber's face. Wide awake, she slowly crept towards the window, adrenalin flowing through her veins. On her bed Gregory rolled over, making her jump as he let out a loud snore.  
  
Picking up the clock (she had dropped it when she got a fright) Petal carefully grabbed the clasps for the window, preparing her aim as she lifted the glass… And screamed as an owl came hurtling at her head.  
  
"Aghhhhhhhh"  
  
Gregory Evans jumped out of bed, yelling himself. Only semi-awake, he grabbed for the clock that wasn't there, stumbling in the process. His reach for the clock throwing him off balance, he over balanced and fell to the ground, yelling murder in the process. It didn't help that the owl crashed into him while he was on the ground.  
  
Having lost her fear, Petal almost laughed as she saw her husband kicking and shouting as he lay on the ground, attacking a non-existent enemy. Petals calls of "It's fine dear, only an owl. It's all right, calm down!" fell on deaf ears as her husband continued to writhe on the floor. Slowly it seemed to sink into him that he wasn't blind and that he wasn't being killed. Embarrassed, he straightened out his blur stripey pyjamas and refused to meet her eye, which is good, as he would have been very insulted at the laughter in them.  
  
"It's just an owl, hon," saying this, Petal looked closer at the bird nibbling her curtains and noticed that it had dropped a piece of folded white parchment at its feet. Reaching down, Petal picked up the parchment carefully, frightened of being pecked by the bird. The owl continued chewing the curtains without noticing anything happening.  
  
Slowly unfolding the parchment, a bemused Petal admitted that she still wasn't completely used to this form of letter transport, despite the fact that her daughter had been part of the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry for almost five years now. Not really concentrating on the parchment, she glanced fondly at her husband. He was now sitting in bed, the lamps she'd switched on lighting up his features. She really did find him attractive, with his red hair and green eyes – her own blue ones seemed dull in comparison.  
  
Flicking a strand of blonde hair out of her face, she remembered the letter and stepped closer to the lights to aid in reading it. She wasn't really concentrating on it, caught up in her husbands looks as she was. It was only when she read the words "emotional breakdown" and connected them with Lily that she began to turn serious – then worried. Tears threatened to burst out of her eyes as she read on.  
  
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Evans,  
  
It is with sincere regret that we inform you that your daughter, Lily Evans, has had an emotional breakdown. A build-up of stress caused by certain situations led her to this unstable condition. The Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry is currently keeping her in the hospital ward, hoping that good friends and a healthy diet will help her through to recovery. A full recovery is very possible, however she is currently a comatose state due to trauma. She can be revived easily, though we haven't yet attempted as our plans are not fully in place.  
  
Despite her original plans to return to your home for the Christmas break, Lily will be remaining at Hogwarts to continue her recovery in the suitable environment. Might I also add that Lily's condition is due to the breaking out of a relationship with one of the students here at Hogwarts. The reasons for that break-up are strictly confidential, though as the parents we feel that you may be informed. Lily and Severus Snape were, to us, an odd pairing. Neither shared very similar interests and it had only been a weak friendship from the start. The staff at Hogwarts were not entirely surprised when Severus abused their trust, however, Lily's reaction to that abuse was entirely unexpected.  
  
We ask you that if she has either any history of mental instability or bad relationships, could you please inform us as that would help to further our attempts at aiding her in this case of distraught behaviour.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Prof. Minerva McGonagall.  
  
The tears burst through, there was nothing she could do. Hiccoughing and whimpering, Petal fell into Greg's embrace and handed him the letter. She had always felt solace in his arms, though she couldn't this morning. She felt his anxiety as he read the letter turn to stress, and then all his muscles stiffened. Her head on his chest, she felt the drops of salty water land on her head as her own tears ran off her cheeks onto his pyjama top.  
  
Gregory held his wife close, hating the emotions that ran through his body and the fear he felt in his heart. Mumbling into her hair, he asked quietly:  
  
"Oh, Petal, Dear… What are we going to do?"  
  
A/N  
  
I might keep this as just the prologue. If you're reading this before my story 'Lily's Revenge', I suggest that you back track and read that first. To people that HAVE read LR, I know that this is very similar to the epilogue, but you have to realise that this is only the prologue. I'll start the proper chapters soon: I've just got to sort all of it out in my head. This story is going to be a fair bit longer than LR, if everything works the way I want it too, that is ~. My wish is that LR will be the prologue for my giant MWPP story – this is basically the first chapter.  
  
Please R/R – tell me how you think this is going and whether I should keep going with it. I want to, though a story takes a lot out of me, and if no one wants to read it then I won't bother going to all the effort.  
  
BTW I do actually have a beta-reader now, so I'll post my chapters after she's read them, that way they'll be a bit more edited than they have been. I'll be doing a full rewrite of LR in a month or so. 


	2. What to do?

A Lily Love Story  
Chapter One: What to do?  
  
The portions of burnt meat were being pushed away into an ever-increasing pile as Petunia slowly ate her way through her breakfast of bacon and eggs. She sighed moodily as she realised that she would never find a piece up to her standards, and grumpily pushed the plate away stating:  
  
"I know you aren't the best of cooks, Mum, but this is just pitiful..."  
  
She didn't get the chance to complain more, as at that moment her mother's shaking hands lost their grip on the frying pan and all came crashing to the floor. Self-consciously, Petal pushed the hair away from her puffy eyes and crouched to the floor, not noticing as the hot cooking implements burned her hands as she picked them up and placed them in the sink.  
  
"So..." spoke Petunia, "Is there anything you can do about breakfast? Except for burn it, that is."   
  
Petal froze and stared at her daughter, unable to believe that a child of her own could be so uncaring. But that's her father's side, she supposed to herself.  
  
"Is that all you have to say?" asked Petal, her voice shaking with suppressed emotion. Whether it was tears or fury, she couldn't tell.  
  
Petunia pulled a funny face - she was apparently thinking. She stared intently at her mother's face and then said, matter of fact, "You've been crying. Is something wrong?"  
  
"Your sister has had an emotional breakdown."  
  
"So?" Petunia looked at Petal blankly. At that moment the floral wallpaper had more character than Lily Evans' sister. Petal rolled her eyes to the ceiling, frustration at Petunia's bad grace overriding her stress for a moment. Then she drew a deep breath and began to sob, fear for Lily's condition overwhelming her for a moment.  
  
Greg walked in to see his eldest daughter ignoring her sobbing mother, while a large mess of blackened bacon and eggs lay on the floor. Grabbing a dishcloth he bent down and began to wipe up the mess of the linoleum, gently comforting his wife as he did so.  
  
"Don't worry, Pet. We'll find out some way to help our Lily - that letter seemed very convincing when it spoke of how she will recover, and they DO seem to know what they're doing. We could take her home if you want, or..." He stopped abruptly as Petal interrupted.  
  
"It's not that, Greg!" she cried angrily, "You know what the letter said; "We ask you that if she has either any history of mental instability or bad relationships..." they mean ME, Greg, I'm her bad history. We know that insanity comes from my side of the family! What if they can't heal her? What if she never recovers? It'll be all my fault," saying this, Petal broke down hysterically, crying and hiccoughing non-stop. Greg wrapped his arms around her, saying only:  
  
"They're magical, they'll be able fix her, of course they will," they have to be, he thought silently to himself - if only to save my wife.  
  
At the word magical, Petunia slipped from the room.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Always! That's all they cared about. Lily this and Lily that, well, Petunia was sick of it. She hated Lily with a passion. It was beyond envy or even jealousy, it was pure anger. Petunia hated magic: she hated the advantage it gave other people, and she hated the extra attention her sister earned for having it.  
  
Lily had been subject to an emotional breakdown? Well whoop-de-doo! Good for her!  
  
She deserved it.  
  
Petunia rolled over on the bed, the plain white quilts matching the white cupboards and curtains. Her carpet was a soft cream, and completely spotless. The bed was beautifully made, all her clothes were folded up and away, while the books in her shelves were all beautifully ordered. Not a thing was out of place, not even a hair on her head. It was a perfection thing that Petunia had. She couldn't help it, but everything simply had to be neat and orderly - she hated mess. At the moment her thoughts were a mess, and she hated that, too. There were damp patches on her pillow - apparently she had been crying, yet Petunia couldn't think why. She had nothing to do with people who cried like little children. Why, she was eighteen!  
  
Feeling angry and upset, Petunia decided to call her boyfriend - he'd be able to make everything better. She sighed happily, reaching for her white phone as she searched her memory for the phone number.  
  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Petal didn't notice her daughter's abrupt departure - she was too busy fretting over her _other_ daughter. Like all mothers, she blamed herself. Her family had always had the occasional "bad egg" though Petal had always believed that to simply be her family's wizarding history being misinterpreted. Of course she had never heard of the wizarding world until her daughter Lily was born, yet there had always been that slight twinge to the supernatural. Petal didn't know what to do. Should she bring her daughter home? To heal her with a mother's touch? Or leave her with the wizard's school, where she might lack love but have the best of treatment... Oh, Oh! What to do?!  
  
In less than a week it would be Christmas. Petal had already begun buying up on the foods and decorated the house. It had all been for Lily. Lily's favourite foods, Lily's favourite colours... Everything for her. Yet now Lily wouldn't be coming. Petal couldn't imagine a Christmas with out her baby Lil'. Nothing seemed to be working this year. Nothing at all.  
  
Petal didn't realise that she was sitting on the floor crying until her outburst was interrupted. Her husband had cleaned up the spilt mess and apparently been comforting her, though now he was standing, walking towards the door to answer the bell that had just rung. Discreetly, Petal wiped at her eyes, at once thankful for the mascara that she hadn't had the effort to put on - no dark streaks down her face to betray her.  
  
The deep tones of Vernon Dursley came from the door. Obviously he had come for Petunia - no one else in this house appeared to interest him in the slightest. A dull man, Petal honestly didn't know what her eldest daughter could see in him. But then, Petal thought bitterly, there were few things that she understood when it came to Petunia. "Perfect Petunia" - how quaint. And correct, for Petunia was a perfectionist to the minutest degree. Her fashions were always impeccable; her grammar was almost never incorrect; her hair was never out of place; and her bedroom was neat as a pin. Petal couldn't understand it: couldn't believe it. Although no one in the family was particularly messy, it was more as though Petunia simply didn't have the imagination to cope with anything un-neat. Perhaps that was why she so despised Lily...  
  
Petal broke off her day dreaming to give Vernon a polite nod and greeting. Although she didn't like the boy, she would not drop to Petunia's standards and be rude to him. He responded to her as he always did. Was the boy so boring that he could not think of a different reply? Petunia suited him ideally - her perfection went well with his love of routine and constancy.  
  
His nod was a measured up and down of his head. When he spoke his voice was almost militant in its style of confidence.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Evans. I hope you are well?" He asked, politely, accurately, neatly, smoothly... For the how many hundredth time? Lily wondered privately.  
  
Not listening for her soft-spoken response of "I've been better" he turned from her and faced the tall girl with very straight blonde hair. Petunia's blue eyes appeared slightly washed out, though they always appeared like that. Vague.  
  
"Why, Vernon!" she said grandly. "I did not expect you here so soon. I haven't even changed..." Petunia looked down and waved her hands as though to uncrease any marks in her unruffled garments. "Come, let us go to my room," she appeared to give a disdainful sniff, "My sister has gone crazy - it seems that witch place finally got to her - and my parents are making all sorts of messes." With that, Petunia flounced down to her bedroom, not caring for the parents she had left behind. Lacking the wit to contemplate refusing her, Vernon followed willingly.  
  
This time Petal did notice her daughter's departure. Looking to Gregory she scowled, wanting to slap him for having such a mild expression on his face. Greg wasn't the most imaginative of men, and he did tend towards the orderly and perfectionist attitude that his daughter shared. However it wasn't quite to the same extent, and at least he had emotions.  
  
Inevitably, Petal's mind drifted back towards her daughter. This time when she looked towards her husband it was with despair clouding her eyes. Her thoughts had turned in a different direction now. Obviously if there were problems with her daughter, then it had to be her fault. She was a failure of a mother - she had done something wrong... Petal felt traumatised. It seemed as though everything had been going wrong recently. Everything. Her daughters were either sick or hated her. Yet there was nothing she could do! Nothing. Nothing. Nothing she could do...  
  
Gregory ran to his wife, having intently stared into his wife's eyes and seen the change from despair to blankness as her mind fell into a loop.  
  
To late to stop her collapse, he caught her before she reached the ground. Though not soon enough to reach her before she fell into the darkness that consumed her.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
A worried frown creased Vernon Dursley's face as he noticed his hostess begin to crumple to the floor. Her vague blue eyes had seemed to grow lighter, and then she had simply fell. Thankfully she had been by the bed at the time, and her faint was much cushioned by the pillows. There was a slight warmth to the room, so Vernon decided that it must have been heat shock. Either way, in a few minutes the girl awoke and rose to her former position, continuing their conversation as though nothing had happened. Her manner made Vernon question what he had seen, until he, too, appeared to forget the incident.  
  
Yet in a castle far away, lying in a hospital bed with a whiteness the nearly matched to Petunia's standards, A girl drifted back to where she had been for so long now. Around her, five pairs of concerned eyes stared, and pointed at her were three wands of magic.  
  
Lily Evans returned to the darkness that she had come to know so well.  
  
A/N  
  
I'm sorry that this chapter is short. I didn't actually intend for it to be so teensy and boring, but right at the end I had the BEST bit of inspiration. I've been stuck on this chapter for ages now. I'm in a bit of a rut, and I've decided that my story lacks imagination, originality and anything in the way of a plot. Well... Now I have something to shift the scales (however slight!).  
  
Look out for the next chapter, though I'm in a bit of a funk right now, so it might be a bit long coming... Oh well!! Keep smiling, keep shining... And please keep sending me the wonderful reviews... ; )  
  
-wildcat- 


	3. Sleeping She-Devil

A Lily Love Story  
Chapter Two: Sleeping She-Devil  
  
  
Alike a sleeping princess she lay there. Red hair spread out over the pillows, while her pale hand lay close to her mouth, clenched into a slight fist. Her cheeks a slight pink flush over skin of ivory, while her thick lashes lay flat to her face - eyes shut. She looked as though she might wake, smiling and beautiful, at any moment, which made it all the harder for Remus to picture her as the She-Devil Sirius had described.   
  
Her stillness was broken by a slight twitch as her body shifted position, though her eyes did not flutter awake and reveal the emerald iris. They could not. Lily Evans lay unconcious upon the hospital bed, her skin and naturally pale, apart from the cheeks flushed with a fever that threatened. Lily was very sick, and the dream cures that many doctors used were not nearly as effective on the unconcious mind - she would need to be woken first, so that she might then settle into natural sleep.  
  
"Okay, wands at the ready?" asked Madam Marmalade, one of the nurses who worked in the hospital wing. She was a very old woman, and tended to give long descriptions to any student not quick enough to get away of what Hogwarts had been like when she first came. "I've fixed students like this in a jiffy before, and I will again," she muttered, preparing the revival potion. Glancing up, she saw Sirius' wand.  
  
"No! No, no, no, no! I did NOT say, Mr. Black, that you were to hold at her throat! Our name is not to kill Miss. Evans, but to heal her. She will not improve if she wakes up to see someone about to stab her!" Madam Marmalade looked fit to scream, but Sirius only smiled at her grouchiness.  
  
"Never fear, Miss. Marmalade," he said happily, "I shall not kill Miss. Evans. Only prod her a little" he muttered on an aside to Remus, who began tried to bring his eyebrows together in a serious frown, but couldn't with the laughter that threatened. Sirius looked just like some sort of vampire slayer.  
  
"I do not want her to be able to see your wands, boys," Madam Maramalade continued, sternly, "I only want them close by so that if she does go insane, then at least you'll have the wand there to protect yourself. You do now how to perform the unconcious curse?" She questioned. All the boys nodded dutifully. James was still upset at Sirius for having had that curse performed on him.  
  
"Prepared?" the boys nodded again. Remus felt a tingle of apprehension. He had never even spoken to this girl, but he couldn't imagine anyone so lovely to look at having an evil disposition. Madam Marmalade continued to speak as she poured the contents of a small vile between Lily's lips. "Ready, Set... And she awakes!" the madam finished grandly.  
  
All three boys leant forwards, wanting a better look at this girl who had so changed their lives.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Oh! How I hate him!. I HATE HIM HATE HIM HATE HIM! He stopped my revenge, ruined my dreams, brought my hopes, my desires, my wishes... EVERYTHING crashing to the ground. Can't you hear that dropping sound? Those booms are not growling thunder, but the pounding of a hammer as it threatens to break my heart. And he... HE wields the hammer. Oh, how I hate him. I hate him, hate him HATE HIM!!!  
  
But where has the darkness gone? The darkness I love, it holds me, warms me, secures me. I love the darkness - it is my friend. Where has it gone? What is this brightness? The bright light of white. Am I being reborn? Am I in heaven? I look around in wonder, for how can something so pure exist when I am in such turmoil?  
  
The fuzzy light begins to clear, and I see faces. As my eyes clear, so does my mind. Faces appear before me. I am frightened, nervous. Startled to see so many, I feel weak and wrap myself in the blankets, hoping that they will suffice as my protection. I am dependant on somewhere to hide. My darkness is gone... My friend, my protector, my warmth... I am helpless without protection.  
  
I suddenly snap out of it. My mind stops going around in circles, it stops spinning mindlessly. I return to that hospital room, and really look around. My eyes narrow, but I realised almost immediately that James Potter wasn't there. Perhaps he did die... My mouth begins to curve into a smile, but there must be something wrong, for one of the boys, I recognise him as being Remus Lupin, looks a bit worried and actually steps back. I smile all the wider.  
  
"What?" I ask, sneering in a fashion I learnt from the Slytherins, "Come to seek retribution for the death of James?" I was concentrating on myself - I didn't notice their faces change. "He deserved it, the stupid snoop. Trying to stop my revenge?!" my eyes were sparkling in anger. I smiled all the harder. "My hopes, my dreams, my DESIRE came crashing to the ground in a single instant thanks to him! Why, if he weren't already dead I'd kill him my-"  
  
I finished abruptly, falling back into the datkness I had so come to enjoy. My mind didn't register on the three wands that were pointed at my chest - only the one face. Remus had a look of incredulous dismay, and I almost felt sorry for him. "I wasn't always like this," I wanted to say. Yet it was too late, for the darkness had hold of me and promptly pulled me down.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Remus stared down at his wand, unbelieving. Unbelieving that someone could say such things? Or unbelieving that he could send a person into unconciousness? He didn't know.  
  
"Whoa!" that was Sirius, "Who'd have thought the girl could be so crazy? I expected her to be a bit... odd. But downright insane? Never." Sirius shook his head in disbelief, a surprised smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. Remus knew he was covering up his real feelings: knew this because he could see the anger in Sirius' dark eyes and the whites of his knuckles as his fingers clenched around his wand.  
  
Remus felt pretty similar himself.  
  
Peter was looking at Lily as though he expected her to wake up at any moment and start trying to murder them all. Furtive, he glanced sideways at Remus and Sirius - appearing relived to see that they had their wands out, too. None of the Marauders noticed Madam Marmalade; or at least, that was until she emitted a long sigh that sounded more like a squeak.  
  
"So much for that hope..." she spoke sadly, with a hint of resignation. "I was so certain that if we approached her without James then it would be alright. I hate being wrong."  
  
Sirius tried to lighten the situation. "Well, at least now, Madam, we know that she has something against James. We definitely won't make the mistake of bringing James in while that demon's awake!"  
  
"I thought she was a sleeping princess," spoke Remus, his voice tinged with regret, "she was so beautiful and peaceful..."  
  
Sirius stared at Remus, wondering just where his friend's mind was wandering. "More like a sleeping She-Devil. You saw that when she awoke."  
  
Madam Pomfrey wandered into the room, tagging a student along behind her. Madam Pomfrey was a young witch with a worried sort of frown on her face. Apparently she was new to Hogwarts and hadn't built her confidence up yet. It was not Madam Pomfrey who attracted the boys' attention, though. It was the girl she brought along behind her.  
  
Sirius let out a low whistle at the blonde as she entered the room. When she turned at the sound they saw a pleasant face with baby-blue eyes. She wore a similar frown to that of Madam Pomfrey, though her cheeks and neck were slightly blushed at Sirius' call.  
  
"Madam Marmalade! I am so glad to have caught you before you woke her. Here is Sky Winkkin, Lily's best friend. I thought she might help, though I wasn't certain. I wanted to check with you to see whether I should bring her, but then I heard that you were waking Lily today anyway, so I didn't know and I brought her along just incase, but..." the words that had been gushing out of Madam Pomfrey's mouth stopped when she sighted the weary face of her mentor, Madam Marmalade.  
  
"I fear that we have already attempted to rouse Miss Evans," Madam Marmalade said dourly. "For the first few seconds she appeared to be in a state of disorientated confusion, yet soon after - her mind and eyes must have cleared enough to make sense of her environment - she began yelling incoherently about killing James." Once again Madam Marmalade gave that long drawn-out sigh, as though life were simply too difficult.  
  
Sky looked as though she were about to burst into tears, her eyes were already becoming puffy. "But you can fix her, can't you?" she asked fearfully.  
  
Sirius looked over at her, wondering how such a raging monster could have this soft-spoken girl as her best friend. Perhaps she's under the influence of an imperious curse, he thought wildly, or maybe some sort of potion... Silently, Sirius began laughing to himself as he pictured what were, to him, the only ways a crazy wench like Lily Evans could ever hope to gain friends.  
  
Apparently Sirius began to laugh out loud, also, as he soon received a sharp idig in the ribs by Remus' elbow and was forced to bend over in pain, wincing. "What was that for?" he mouthed, but Remus wasn't watching him anymore, and Sirius' attention was turned back to the conversation.  
  
"Can we try dreams?" asked Madam Pomfrey, "Or perhaps waking her up in a completely white room, completely alone? But I suppose that would be slightly pointless - she'd still be crazy around people..."  
  
Seeing that she had stopped for a breath, Madam Marmalade decided to answer. "I wasn't too certain about trying dreams, as she is still only unconcious due to the placement of a curse, rather than naturally asleep. I suppose we could always try."  
  
The boys and Sky felt out of place. They were being completely ignored, despite the fact that Sirius was threatening to light a firework beside Lily's ear. Meanwhile Remus had hold of Sirius' other arm and appeared to be attempting to pull it off. Peter seemed to be searching his pockets for something - he had pulled every pocket inside out, and Sky couldn't help but giggle as she eventually saw him turn so many pockets inside out that he was simply covered in inside-out pockets.  
  
It was when Sky burst out laughing that they eventually turned their attention back to the students. About four metres of inside-out pocket lay beside Peter, who kept tugging at an obviously bottomless pocket. He was oblivious to the fact that he had been pushed to the ground by a small missile that was set off by Sirius as he tried to remove Remus. Sky was doubled over, laughing. It felt good to laugh, she realised. Her voice became slightly hysterical as she considered that ever since Lily's insanity had commenced there had been precious little laughter.  
  
Seeing Sky rolling on the ground giggling set Remus and Sirius off, who also began to roll on the ground, laughing. The two Nurses also began to laugh, so that soon everyone but Peter (who was still searching his bottomless pocket) and Lily (who was out cold) was laughing. It took a while, but soon everyone calmed down enough to wipe the tears from their eyes. Peter set them off again, however, as he shouted out "Aha!" and waved his prize in the air. It was a little, rusty, nail. The surprise on Peter's face as he looked around to see everyone laughing madly was enough to send the nurses, Sirius, Remus and Sky back into fits again.  
  
Confused, but always one to join in, Peter dropped to the floor and began to laugh, clutching his sides and waving his legs.  
  
***//\\//\\***   
  
James Potter looked up at the people entering through the portrait into the common room. His eyes were dark with resentment, while his mouth was pinched with bitterness. His eyebrows lowered as he noticed the black hair of Sirius, and he glared as he saw their smiling faces. Grumpily packing up his things, he quickly tried to jam them all into his bag and stand up, dragging the homework behind him. Unfortunately, he tried to do all this too quickly: the bag burst open, tripping him with its straps and spilling his books to the floor. Angry and upset, James once again began to try and stuff all the books in his bag - slower, this time.  
  
"Oi, James!" called Sirius across the room, "What's up?"  
  
James only scowled harder in reply and, having finally managed to pack everything successfully, stalked like an offended cat from the room.  
  
"What is up with him?" asked Remus, with a questioning look aimed at Sirius. "He seemed pretty fine yesterday."  
  
Sirius, who appeared to be confused, lost his smile for a second as he sank in thought. He was certain that he hadn't done anything, and James had understood why he couldn't be included in the Lily girl's recovery. Sirius thought back over the past few days, and only came up with the thought that they had certainly been eventful. Why, before four days ago he had hardly even known of Lily Evans' existence - and now he was considered necessary in the cure! Or at least he had. Sirius didn't really understand why the teachers had wanted the other Marauders there... Something about association memory or- Sirius didn't really care. He was more interested in what was eating at James.  
  
Peter spoke up, his voice trembling slightly as he implied criticism to one of the only friends he had.  
  
"Perhaps he didn't appreciate being knocked unconcious, Sirius... Not that I'm trying to say anything against you," he rushed.  
  
Sirius' face once again sank into thought. Remus nearly burst out laughing - you could actually see the process by which he thought, as his face was like an open book and showed the different emotions running through his mind like a slide show. Remus began to frown, however, as what Peter had said sunk in.  
  
"Sirius," he asked sternly, "What does he mean 'knocked unconcious'?"  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes and looked Remus up and down. "Why, Professor Lupin, would you want to know that?" he asked pompously. Then, returning to his normal manner, said: "Honestly, Remus, you sound exactly like one of the professors - perhaps you should think of becoming a teacher. Defence Against the Dark Arts would be right up your alley!"  
  
Remus gave him a scornful look, though a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You're avoiding the point, Sirius, and you know it."  
  
Sirius sighed in a resigned sort of way. "Alright, alright, I admit it! I knocked James unconcious. I have to tell you, though, it was to protect him. He was arguing against that crazy she-devil you just saw, and I tell you, if I hadn't done something when I did, she would have attacked him! Sheesh! I think she's still going to attack him! Did you see that fanatic glint in her eye when she spoke about him?"  
  
Remus shuddered in memory. "Okay, you've got a point, yet now we're stuck with no James to help us on these stupid charms. Honestly, how am I supposed to remember all these crazy words? And you heard Professor Evelyn," Remus' voice changed to a grumpy falsetto as he mimicked the voice of his head-of-house. "I have been informed that you are no longer required in the aide of Miss Lily Evans, thus, I must inform you that you are no longer exempt from the end of term tests..."  
  
Peter and Sirius echoed Remus' growl of annoyance. They had all been shocked to hear that they were once again required to do tests - they hadn't even bothered going to all their classes yesterday due to the fact that they had thought it unnecessary. Dutifully, they all pulled their charms text books out of the bags, disappointed at the necessity of doing study.  
  
After three long, silent minutes of staring blackly at his piece of paper, Remus said dreamily:   
  
"That Sky was a quite babe, wasn't she..." The homework forgotten, Sirius, Remus and Peter spent the rest of the night discussing just how the word "babe" and all its meanings could be applied to Sky Winkkin, the She-Devil's best friend.  
  
A/N  
And thus another chapter is completed! Not much of a cliff hanger for a finish, I'll admit, but I wasn't really feeling up to it... I was thinking of bringing Snape into this chapter, though I thought that would be starting something too late... I dunno - I don't really feel like talking about Snape at the moment.  
  
If this chapter doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, don't worry too much. I've been writing this at lots of different stages - I kept getting interrupted! I'd write a paragraph or so, and then someone (namely my sister) would be pushing me off the computer... Grr! What's a girl to do?!  
  
Oh, and don't forget all the problems I've been having with the plot and god knows what else. Lily's Revenge was SOOO much easier than this story! Which, might I add, is no longer "Muggle Mysteries" *shudders at the name* but "A Lily Love Story" instead. I thought this name much more suitable - despite the fact that this isn't really going to be a love story... More like a Love prank... But I've said too much already!  
  
Thanks go to J.K. Rowling, for without this wonderful author's inspiration I would surely have collapsed in an irritating burst of annoyance; and to Ariqua, my great friend and Beta-Reader who has been kind enough to go through these chapters (though not yet this one!) and also give me hints and ideas whenever I needed them. Also, I give my thanks to my friend - who's name currently escapes me - for putting up with my well aimed thumps as I took out all that frustration on him!  
  
I also have to thank Yasmin and Sierra Charm, who have been sending me lovely e-mails and putting up with the fact that I haven't been replying in a LONG time.  
  
Adieu  
  
-wildcat- 


	4. Of Severus and Saviours

A Lily Love Story  
Chapter Three: Severus Snape, a Sinuous, Sickly, Slimy, Sleaze, Slips into a Sinky Step!  
  
*(*A/N: No, that isn't the proper chapter name, but that doesn't stop me from liking it! Go the alliteration! *)*  
  
Chapter Three: Of Severus and Saviours  
  
Severus Snape's mind was still blank, as once again he tried to draw a memory from only a few nights ago. All he could remember from that night was how bright the full moon had been. He couldn't remember any of the events that Professor Evelyn, the Gryffindor Head of House, had said occurred. All he knew now was that he wasn't to go near the Whomping Willow and that Remus Lupin was a were-wolf.  
  
That had come as a huge shock to Severus. He had always considered himself to be smart - which was one of the reasons why the obviously stupid James Potter annoyed him so. Yet now, after being handed all the evidence on a plate, he still hadn't put two and two together and realised that Remus was a were-wolf. The worst thing was, that after all the effort that he'd apparently went to (he still couldn't remember anything) he had been FORBIDDON to use it as blackmail. Disgusted, Severus stamped his foot, glaring at a few first years with the temerity to giggle.  
  
Walking away from the stupid first years, Severus wandered around simply looking and thinking for a few minutes until he found a place he considered comfortable enough for him to sit down once more.  
  
Severus was currently in the library, with his attention having been on completing the homework set by his potions master, Professor Leech. Severus was currently occupied with his thoughts, however, and his mind had drifted from the brews that would usually fascinate him. It was dark in the corner where he was sitting, with the dust thick on the shelves. These books were in the Restricted Section of the library, and Severus was very proud to have finally earned the respect of enough teachers for him to have a continued access to these ancient volumes. If he appreciated anything more than Potions, then it would have to be the study of the Dark Arts.  
  
With a slight plopping sound, a spider dropped to his head. It had crept out from in between the large covers of a book from above him. Glancing at the title as he flicked away the spider he read: "Dark Creatures for Dark Arts, written by M.X. Grindelwald. Immediately interested, Severus pulled down the heavy book and sat it to his lap. The cover was a dark black, with some weird mould growing around the outer edges. As he opened the book the slightest crack another spider stuck its leg out and began to squeeze through. Slamming the book shut on it as it was halfway through gave Severus some satisfaction. He smiled as the crushed body and innards added to the book's stains. Standing up once more with the idea of searching for more of Grindelwald's books, he chanced a look through the crack left in the shelf from where he had taken out the dark book.  
  
Standing by the door was Sky Winkkin, the flower slut's best friend.  
  
Sneering in a happy sort of way at the prospect of harassing someone, Severus Snape quickly placed the book back on the shelf and began to walk his way over to the entrance of the library.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Sky Winkkin looked around, nervously. She was worried about the upcoming tests; she'd never had to do them without Lily Evans' help before. They had always seemed slightly difficult, though this year they were completely impossible. She didn't want to fail, yet she didn't know how she could possibly succeed - and they were only two days away! What was she to do? Ask Severus for help?  
  
Sky nearly giggled at the prospect. While her best friend had seemed to be quite close to that Severus Snape, Sky herself had never really been able to make herself think much of him. Her forehead crinkled with worry once more as she considered just what her prospects were. Before the end of the night she just might be resorting to asking Severus for help - for, whomever the help came from, she was certain that she would need it.  
  
Sky sighed once more: it seemed that she couldn't do anything without Lily there to help.  
  
"You sighing about me, Sweet Heart?" asked a greasy voice behind her as an arm slipped over her shoulders, "As I'm certainly not sighing over you."  
  
Shocked, Sky turned, wrenching the arm of her shoulders as she did so. Seeing the slimy black hair was enough for her to recognise her adversary. Shuddering at the fact that he had touched her, she tried to say in as much of a degrading voice as possible: "Who, you? Why would I ever sigh over the likes of you?!"  
  
"Hey," said Severus, returning his arm, "I just thought that you girls were always sighing over guys you couldn't have," he smirked at her. But hey, I could be nice and give you a treat - I've heard that you're worried about the upcoming tests..." Sky's muscles obviously tensed at that remark, "But I suppose you should be, what with that slutty best friend of yours too crazy to help."  
  
Seeing that face so close to her own made her want to puke, his breath was stale with unwashed teeth, and his hair! She could see the small flecks of white dandruff and dirt clearly against the black of his slimy hair. She was sickened to see something that looked distinctly like a small insect move through his hair. Disgusted, she watched him lift his free hand and lazily itch it.  
  
"What do you care for my worries?" she asked, trying to control the tremble in her voice. He must have heard it, however, as his arm tightened considerably and his smile became all the more malignant.  
  
"Hey, I'm always concerned for those who have been hurt," Severus replied, holding the same hand that had itched the creature against his heart in a mocked gesture of honesty. "I don't think that silly girl, Lily Evans, really knew how much her... degrading way... hurt people." Severus was delighted to see the spark of anger that lit in her eye. He so loved to crush people, and his smile broadened to include his joy.  
  
Sky's eyes lost their angry gleam as they opened wider, frightened. She was angry with him, and there he was, leering at her best friend! And now he had that scary look upon his face... The one he'd worn just before he hurt Lily. Sky had been there, in the shadows, and she would never fall for his lies. No, she would never betray her best friend in this way.  
  
Defiant, Sky tried to tug out of his grasp, yet he just gripped her arms the harder, digging his grotty nails in. What is this?! Sky thought to herself, I'm only fifteen! Sky had never thought that she might get entangled in something like this. She became dizzy with fear. Where was the teacher? Where were the students? The smell of Severus' bad breath was making her feel nauseous, and she turned her head away from his, hoping to avoid the stink.   
  
The spark of defiance that had lit her eye faded as, like a falling wall, her resolve crumbled to pieces.  
  
Severus saw her eyes, just before she faced away. He saw exactly when she broke, and a fierce smile of glee lit his face as he realised his success. She was weak, and would make a good vessel through which he could inflict pain.  
  
"Well?" he asked, turning her head so that he might see her eyes, "Are you willing to take up the offer?"  
  
"And what offer might that be, Severus?" asked a voice from behind. Sky almost laughed in relief. Like some heroes from a muggle flick, her saviours had come to the rescue. She breathed out deeply in, what was this time, a sigh of relief as she felt Severus' grip loosen and then drop altogether as Remus yanked him off. Sirius came to stand in front of her as Peter walked up to her side to ask if she were alright. Never had she so appreciated that height of Sirius and Remus as she did then - they made Severus' all of 5"2 look even less than usual.  
  
Remus asked the question again, now that he had Severus' attention. In reply, Severus only sneered sourly, angry at being interrupted.  
  
"I believe that was between myself and Sky," he said disdainfully, with a snobby little sniff that nearly sent Sky into hysterics. Remus glanced at Sirius, as though searching for her. When he couldn't see her, he replied:  
  
"Oh, was it? Well - she isn't here now, so," and he dropped to a whisper, "you know, just between you and me?" he brought his head closer to Severus', "I THINK YOU SHOULD LEAVE!" he shouted, raising Severus a few feet off the ground. Severus ran off as though he'd been booted across the backside, with Sirius, Sky, Peter and Remus laughing at his departing back. They didn't catch a glimpse of his face, however, which was twisted into an angry and embarrassed scowl.  
  
"So, what was all that about?" asked Sirius, as he raised his eyebrows in an indicating fashion after Severus' exit point. "I hope we weren't interrupting anything important..."  
  
Sky began to chuckle, smiling and shaking her head in disbelief.  
  
"What is it with this girl," asked Sirius in an aside to Remus, "Everytime we see her she's laughing!" Remus smiled in return, looking fondly down at the girl he'd just rescued.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Sky, with uncontrollable tears of laughter running down her face, "but it's just that... well... You really did come at the most opportune moment - and then to think that you didn't even really realise what you'd done!" Sky snorted in another burst of laughter. She felt amazing, as though a whole massive weight had been lifted off her chest. She stopped laughing, however, when she thought of just what was weighing down her chest.  
  
Unthinking, Sky sighed again.  
  
"And that was for..?" asked Sirius questioningly. Sky looked up at him and Remus, not really noticing Peter who had drifted into the background. Her eyes were big and round, and her forehead once again creased with worry. Dropping her eyes to the ground, she mumbled an answer that she didn't really want them to understand. These boys were the most intelligent in the year! As if she could ask them for help.  
  
A finger under her chin raised her eyes to their level once more, though this time it was only Remus that she was looking at. His brown eyes held her mesmerised, and they probed her with questions. So gentle, and concerned. She wondered why he would worry himself with her. His gaze giving her no other option, she answered him, her voice clearer this time, though still filled with embarrassment and worry.  
  
"I'm not smart enough. I'm worried I'll fail the tests."  
  
Sirius snorted in laughter, and even Remus' eyes sparkled at her.  
  
"Worried about the tests?" asked Sirius between gasps, "Is that all?! We had thought it must have been something much more serious!" He stopped laughing, however, when he saw that Sky looked hurt by his comment.  
  
"Don't worry," that was Remus, his finger was gone from her chin now, though his eyes still rested on her face. "We'll help you."  
  
The relieved look Sky gave them was enough to send everyone back into fits of laughter. She didn't really find it all that funny, but it felt good to laugh - and she seemed to only ever laugh around these people. Looking up at the tall boys around her and the shorter Peter, she wondered whether she had found someone to replace Lily. But then her thoughts drifted over to that figure asleep in the pale white sheets. So alike a sleeping princess... Sky nearly cried for all that had been lost. Only Remus noticed her lapse in laughter, and wondered if there was more to this girl than a pretty face and gurgling laugh.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Severus Snape felt as though he was just about to explode with fury. He couldn't believe the impertinence of those, those boys to interrupt. He had been so close, so close to getting his way with that girl. He'd seen her will snap, seen that lost look. Despite what he'd said about Lily, he'd never actually gotten anything from her. Although, as he thought over that, he had to admit that driving her insane had been a reward in its own sense. He still couldn't believe it though... The watch of Remus Lupin had been Lily's job, and he was certain that she would have known long before that he was a were-wolf. Yes, she would have known, and it tore Severus to pieces that she had never told him. Did she hold no respect, no decency towards him? He was glad that he'd broken her, for despite the fact that he was without proof, he had always suspected her traitorous thoughts.  
  
Distracted, Severus managed to misjudge his step and with an ungainly lurch felt his ankle sink into one of the trick steps. Ferocious, Severus yanked at his leg, trying to dislodge it, yet it seemed that the more he struggled, the further he sank. Tempted to scream in anger at his stupid foot and the stupid step, Severus managed to cut himself short before he began to swear viciously. Scowling in annoyed disbelief, Severus searched through his robes, of the intention of finding his wand and somehow getting his foot out.  
  
The stair he was trapped in was made was made out of some ancient polished wood. A spiral staircase that was fixed with an illusion that made it appear to go forever, he had never particularly liked going this way. Actually, Severus decided, he didn't like any stairs. All they did was move around an suck people into their trick steps, ugly, stupid, worthless things.  
  
Severus was distracted from his angry reverie by the sound of footsteps coming towards him. Great, he thought to himself, just wonderful. Trust my luck to have people come along to laugh at me while I'm in this sort of situation. Harder, Severus began to pull at his leg with one arm - the other was still searching his robes for the wand. Somewhere in his mind the thought registered that he should have found his wand by now.  
  
Up past his thigh now, Severus was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his balance as the stair held him tight. It was quite a comical scene for Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, to walk in on. He stood there, apparently trying not to smile to widely, as he watched Severus Snape wriggling around, trying to find balance, with half his leg gone.  
  
"Ahhh," said Professor Dumbledore, in a curious sort of voice, "An uncomfortable predicament, I would presume. I myself have often found it to be most irritating to be caught by one of the trick stairs. Though I must say, I do often wonder at where they gain the intelligence to know just when we are either in an incredible hurry or all alone - for it seems that only at these times does the stair truly catch us." Severus was listening to this with only partially disguised impatience. He would never yell at Dumbledore, for despite certain disagreements, he did rather respect this fabulous man. Professor Dumbledore was still speaking, though now his topic had drifted to brooms and cupboards... Severus wasn't really concentrating.  
  
"Anyway," he said, regaining Severus' attention in the process, "Let's see if we can't do something about this leg of yours... I've always found that the leg locker curse works best, I suppose that's because the leg doesn't wriggle so much as you try to remove it..." Having reached for his wand, Professor Dumbledore removed out from under the folds of his cloak a long wooden magical implement. Smiling fondly at his wand, he wiped it once before he pointed it at Severus' leg and muttered "Petrificus Intendis." Severus gave a slight shudder as he felt all of his leg lock up, even that which was stuck in the stair. "There," said Dumbledore, "That should do it - I expect that if you give a slight jiggle of your hip then it will come out nice and easy." Severus lost his frown as his leg began to slide easily out of the step. "There we go! I'd best be on now, I expect you can perform the reversal spell..." Dumbledore's voice faded out as he quickly walked up the stairs beyond Severus and away from him.  
  
Smiling in satisfaction, Severus felt his leg come out with a slight "pop". He was finally free from the constraints of a stairway! And he'd learnt a nifty trick in the process. Now all he needed was his wand... This brought about a fresh wave of annoyance, as he soon found that his wand was missing. After checking through what seemed to be every pocket in his garment - even ones he hadn't knew existed - he still couldn't find his wand! Severus began to get angry. He supposed that one of those idiot kids from the library had stolen it. That would be just like them; stealing his wand!  
  
Severus' anger soon drifted towards worry, however. He was stuck here, with a petrified leg, and no wand with which to fix it. He began to feel even more nervous as he wondered just who had gotten hold of his wand. Suppose it wasn't those idiots in the library - what if it had been one of the Dark Lord's followers... Severus shuddered at the thought. He had never lost his wand before. Like everybody, he was afraid of the Dark Lord, although Severus did have a definite fascination with him and his Art.  
  
His mind returning to the problem at hand, Severus began to consider his possibilities. It was too late for him to call out for Professor Dumbledore - he had been walking fast and would be long gone by now. Besides, any shouts for help Severus made might bring Peeves, and Severus could just imagine the situation that might arise from that! Disgruntled, Severus decided that he would have to take the only option that appeared open to him - he would have to walk.  
  
Pulling himself upright through use of the banisters, Severus suddenly found himself swaying to and fro on a leg he couldn't bend. Overbalancing, he nearly found himself falling in the trick step again. It was only the quick movement of his hand that saved him. Scowling furiously he decided that walking actually wasn't an option.  
  
Flat on his face with his legs sprawled behind, Severus Snape progressed to wriggle his way down the stairs on his belly - face red with embarrassment and rage. 


	5. F-A-O, the Duster...

A Lily Love Story  
Chapter Four: F-A-O, the Duster  
  
  
A long, thin object lay, unmoving, on the carpeted floor. At a first glance, it appeared to be only a finely sanded stick, nothing more, yet when combined with a wizard, this "twig" could do amazing things. Unnoticed by the three boys and girl, who all wore long, flowing, black robes, the wand remained upon the plush rug. Angrily, it's owner stamped away. He had not noticed as it was loosened from his pocket. He had been otherwise occupied, as he tried to regain his balance after being jerked unexpectedly off his feet. Stomping away, he didn't even consider that the movement may have removed the magical implement from his person. No, Severus Snape didn't notice that his wand was missing until much later.  
  
The three boys and girl; however...  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Hey," asked Peter Pettigrew, as he noticed the object on the floor at their feet, "Who's wand is that?" He looked up at the group standing around him. Remus Lupin hadn't turned to look - he was otherwise occupied with the girl who they'd just been rescuing. Sky Winkkin, however, was not really returning his adoration, and glanced over at the wand. As she stared, obviously concentrating, a small wrinkle appeared on her forehead. Remus, who was pretty much head over heals, thought it the cutest thing he'd seen. Sirius Black, who had been looking back and forth between his friend Remus and Sky, stopped laughing silently as he noticed the wand that Peter had pointed out. At last Remus tore his gaze from Sky, the object of his attraction, and let his eyebrows sink down into a frown as he considered the wand.  
  
"I think," said Sky tremulously, "That the wand... That, that wand..." she stuttered. "That, that wand, belongs to Severus! He must have dropped it!"  
  
The three Marauders' eyes opened wider as they considered the possibilities. Sirius looked as though he had already begun to formulate some scheme, as his lips started to mutter and his eyes became glazed. Remus' frown began to turn into a smile, and, seeing Sirius get the glazed look, he winked happily at Peter. Peter smiled broadly as he noticed the wink, and Sirius. Sky looked from one face to the other, a bemused expression on her face. It appeared that these new friends of hers would take some getting used to.  
  
A growl from her stomach reminded her that she had skipped dinner, and with a sorrowful look towards her belly, she firmly told her abdomen that it would have to go without this time. She had gone without eating anything since breakfast, but that hadn't worried her too much. Stressed out about school, Sky Winkkin's appetite had dropped considerably. Perhaps it was due to this accumulation of hunger that her stomach responded with an even louder growl.  
  
The Marauders couldn't help but notice the particularly loud noises coming from Sky, and Sirius, deciding to try conversing with it, bent down so as to be on a level with her belly and began growling right back at it.  
  
Sky couldn't figure out what Sirius was doing when he bent down in front of her. She cracked up laughing (again) however when he emitted loud growls. Her stomach growled right back at him, and this time it was even louder! Standing up in mock seriousness, Sirius proclaimed:  
  
"Sky, I do fear that your stomach is not impressed. It is threatening to leap from your body this instant if you do not feed it!" Sky gasped in melodramatic horror, bringing her hand to her mouth in a gesture of fear.  
  
"Oh, no, Doctor!" she exclaimed, "What ever are we going to do?"  
  
Remus also bent down to investigate her belly. After also having a short conversation with it, he rose and nodded at Sirius in a definite kind of way.  
  
"I fear there is no option," said Remus, tragically. "We shall have to stuff you to the brim with all kinds of delicacies. It seems that a trip to the kitchens is in order." Sky had a questioning look on her face. She didn't know that there was a way to get into the school kitchens. Yet, besides that, she was actually wondering why the boys had come to the library in the first place.  
  
Seeing the look on her face, Peter finally spoke up. "We succeeded at finding the entrance to the kitchens in the second year, on a night when Sirius was exceptionally hungry." Sirius had a pained look on his face, and kept it there as he told her in a sad voice:  
  
"Ahh... That was many nights ago. I fear that my stomach, as yours is now, was past consolation. I was forced to act, and that being that I did everything and anything I could to get food. On attempting to eat a painting, I actually managed to tickle the pear, and suddenly a door opened and I was in the kitchens!" Sky could just imagine Sirius eating paintings - he seemed the type. She shook her head with humour, the tears threatening to come down her face as her laughter went out of control.  
  
"You- you ACTUALLY attempted to EAT a painting!?" asked Sky, "Man... You are crazier than I thought!"  
  
Sirius pretended to sulk. "Well I was hungry..."  
  
"Anyway," said Sky, finally managing to control her breathing, "What I was actually wondering is why you came to the library in the first place! I mean," she realised she sounded nosy, "It seems that you're pretty willing to leave again." Sky watched their faces for a response, but their expressions didn't change much from their current mirth.  
  
"Oh, we were thinking of searching for some sort of special cheering charm." Remus grimaced, "James hasn't been to cheerful with us lately."  
  
Sirius got a doleful expression, and tried to admit his mistake. "You see, I... err... I sort of... well... I knocked him out. Because he was about to get himself killed." Sky's expression didn't change at all. She didn't want to loose her new-found friends.  
  
"You know what?" Sky said.  
  
"What?" they all chorused.  
  
"Let's forget about it!"  
  
As if to finalise the matter, Sky's stomach gave a loud growl. Once again, everyone burst out laughing.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
It was only the next day, yet Sky Winkkin felt as though she had been best friends with the Marauders all her life. With them to help, it seemed that she was a fast learner - they were teaching her things that the teachers had considered her to never be capable of! Only her best friend, Lily Evans, had ever succeeded in teaching her so well. Her thoughts always turned sad when she pictured Lily. To Sky, Lily had always appeared so strong - so impossible to defeat. Yet now Lily was broken, and all for revenge.  
  
Turning her mind towards happier thoughts, Sky considered what classes she had this day. She had never really thought about it before, but a lot of her classes were with the Gryffindors. For example, her first today, Transfiguration, was with the Marauders. They had already invited her to sit near them - she hadn't had too many close friends other than Lily. She was a bit too shy.  
  
Waiting outside the classroom was amusing. Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, was - for one of the first times in her career - late. In no way did this worry the students, for Sirius had a great time setting off the fireworks he had neatly positioned on James Potter's back. James was still a bit depressed, so their way of trying to improve his mood was by victimising him.  
  
"Come on, Jamsie! Give us a smile, or we'll set off another one..." Sirius threatened. Meanwhile, Remus discreetly dropped a dungbomb right in front of the door, where everyone was standing. Sky was certain that the fumes must have infiltrated into the classroom, yet it couldn't have been too much, as it completely stank all through the hall. It didn't take long for the smell to diffuse throughout the air, though unfortunately it only seemed to increase in strength. Calling angrily, some of the students began to run up the hall, trying to get away from the stench.  
  
It was a scene of complete pandemonium that Professor McGonagall walked in on. Have the students were running around, screaming, while James Potter, she noticed, was moodily staring at the wall. Deftly, Sirius and Peter appeared to be attaching something to his back. Minerva presumed that it was a filibuster firework, and not the first to be placed their, either, judging by the scorch marks running up the back of his robe. Other fifth years were simply watching, some wearing smiles of expectation, others with disapproving frowns. Sky Winkkin's, she noted, was a mixture of both amusement and concern, and Minerva wondered whether the girl had come to know the Marauders better, as she would normally have ignored them, or looked worried.  
  
Professor McGonagall gave out a resigned sigh. "Black, Lupin, Pettigrew!" she called with little enthusiasm, "When will you stop doing this!"  
  
"Never!" shouted a cheeky Sirius. Minerva was tempted to smile, though she could not.  
  
"Complete chaos! I feel I must reward you..." the Remus, Peter and Sirius looked hopeful. "How about... a detention every single night until my classroom is COMPLTELY spotless!!" Comically, Sirius' face fell; Remus groaned loudly; while Peter began to whinge. James glanced over at them, his eyes cold. Although he didn't really have much reason to be mad at Remus, it seemed that he simply hadn't been able to pull himself out of this rut he'd been in lately.   
  
For ever since he'd met that Lily girl, he'd been having this horrible recurring nightmare. He'd normally have discussed it, yet he was still in a bad mood with Sirius, and... well... he was afraid. The dream felt so real, that he was worried that it might not be a dream at all, but a premonition. James had heard that just speaking about those things could bring the dream about, and, frankly, James didn't want that happening.  
  
Removing himself from his thoughts, he noticed that almost everyone else had already filed into the classroom. Quickly stepping in, he went over to an empty bench and sat there, trying not to appear too glum about the seating arrangement. He would normally have sat with the other Marauders, yet today his spot was taken up by Sky Winkkin, the pretty girl who had told him where to find Lily Evans. That night seemed so long ago, yet it hadn't even been five days since the - accident. Sky had seemed worried then, yet now she appeared perfectly happy. James smiled as he noticed the adoring glances Remus was throwing at her, considering her shapely form, James decided that it wouldn't take much for him to adore her, either... but then he remembered that he was supposed to be grumpy, and wiped the smile from his face.  
  
"Students, attention please," she glared at Sirius and Remus, who were having a rather animated and noisy discussion with Sky. In the end it was Peter's kicking at their shins that finally drew their attention.  
  
"Oi, what was that for? It hurt!" came the complaints of Sirius and Remus, but their whine turned into an "Oh..." when they noticed the furious look on their Professor's face.  
  
"If you are finished?" she asked them, sternly. "I was about to tell you that today, students, we are beginning a new topic!" This announcement was greeted with much interest from the class. Their last topic had been almost all theory, and they were glad it was at last over. "Yes, as you have already covered all the work necessary for the upcoming exams, I am today starting you on one of the next semesters topics. Up front on my desk, I have a box of very boring, slightly dusty, chalk dusters," she held one up to the class, just to show how unappealing they were. "The aim of today's lesson is to try and turn your duster into a bird of the same size. Later on, we shall move to different size changes, however I think that this task shouldn't be too difficult if you have all been studying hard for the upcoming mid-year exams." Sternly, she looked around the room, frowning at some of the sheepish faces.  
  
Itching to get their dusters and give it a try, the entire class was extremely excited. Before, they had only ever been allowed to either very simple object to animal changes, such as a pin cushion to a porcupine, or nothing at all. Animal to animal changes would come much later. The Marauders would never let in on the knowledge that they were actually quite adept at animal to animal transfiguration, as their being Animagus (able to change their form into that of a particular animal, yet retain their own conciousness) wasn't actually in agreement with the law...  
  
"After copying out these notes, you all can come up to collect your duster. One each! And don't let me catch you getting a duster and attempting this before you've a copy of the notes on the board!" the Professor finished. The entire class groaned at the mention of writing out notes, though Minerva thought it best not to comment. Thankfully for the students, the notes were few and it only took them a few seconds to scribble them out on a bit of parchment. Soon everyone had a hold of their demure duster and had begun practicing, with Professor McGonagall helping them out as necessary.  
  
Sky looked to her duster. It was exceptionally dirty, with gacky pink and yellow chalk all smudged over its surface. Glaring at it, she tried to force it into a bird. Unfortunately, her anger didn't do anything to change the duster. She hissed at the stupid thing, telling herself that it didn't matter - she had never been any good at transfiguration.  
  
"Ouch!" shouted Sky, angrily swatting at the little grey bird nibbling her ear. "What was that for?" she tried glaring fiercely at the bird, though gave up and fell into giggles as she saw it. Obviously whoever had transfigured it hadn't done the best job, as the bird was still duster-ish; and obviously someone had written a bad word on that duster, for it was now scrawled across the bird's back.  
  
Retrieving his bird off her shoulder, Remus looked down at her duster and gave an intense frown. "I'm afraid that there's something seriously wrong with this bird of yours, Sky," he said gravely. She looked up at him, bemused. "I fear that this bird hasn't any wings," tenderly, he touched it's side, and gave a loud gasp. "It's dead! Your bird is DEAD!" he cried dramatically, grabbing onto her hand. "Is it just me?" he asked as he pushed her hand against the duster, "But I cannot find a pulse!"  
  
Looking over curiously, Sirius decided to join in. "Did you say she killed it, Remus?" he asked, giving Sky a mimic of McGonagall's stern frown.  
  
"I'm afraid she did," replied Remus, with all the seriousness of a doctor giving his diagnosis. Sky was trying to stop herself from bursting out laughing.  
  
"Well," spoke Sirius, looking bright, "perhaps I can help you there!" His smile was positively evil, as he pulled out his wand and, after some pretty fancy wand-waving, managed to change her duster into...  
  
A funny looking bird stood before her. It obviously hadn't been designed to fly, yet it's beak certainly looked vicious. It's black and white plumage didn't really stand out in the dull classroom, yet it certainly took up enough room. Professor McGonagall was striding over angrily, though the look on her face was closer to pride.  
  
"An ostrich?!" asked Sky, incredulous. She hadn't realised that they were that good. The ostrich gave a loud squawk, and began to flap it's wings noisily. Everyone that had been anywhere near the ostrich quickly backed away, as the birds long winds caused a small storm and its noisy calls tended to deafen.  
  
"Do you like it?" shouted Sirius over noise of his creation. Professor McGonagall had been forced back, and was now attempting to shout something to the boys. Unfortunately, they weren't paying much attention.  
  
"Aww, come on Sirius," shouted Remus over the tumult, "Even I can do better than that!" And thus he progressed to do so. Even without all Sirius' intricate wand-waving, Remus still succeeded at making something pretty spectacular. Where his little grey bird with the swear word had been now stood a giant...  
  
Sky cracked up at this one, for it, too, was brilliant. This bird had bright pink plumage, though, oddly enough, the swear word still adorned its back. The Pink Flamingo was also capable of making a lot of ruckus, as it soon went to the effort to prove.  
  
James couldn't stand it. He was always up to the challenge, and this bird-making competition simply shouted at him to join in. Rather in the way that Remus was, though James suspected that the hand movements weren't part of it.  
  
Stepping up beside Sky, he managed to confer to her: "A pink flamingo and an ostrich?! Come now, as a challenge, I'm up to that!" His eyes sparkled with mischief as he through his duster up in front of him and changed it into...  
  
Something huge. No, this was bigger than huge - this was gigantic! Sky wondered if it was the biggest bird in existence. The albatross soared on a wingspan of more than six metres (around 18 feet). It appeared as magnificent, and inspired the whole class to "Oooh"s and "Ahhh"s. Unfortunately, the albatross also succeeded in shrinking the room considerably, as it took up a lot of space.  
  
Professor McGonagall still hadn't managed to reach them, and with the Marauders looking at her, Sky knew that it was now her time to give the transfiguration a shot. She was tempted to give in to her pessimistic thoughts, though with Remus looking at her like that... it made her feel weak to think that such powerful wizards would welcome her as a friend. Her duster was currently eyeing her hungrily in the guise of an ostrich, so someone was kind enough to retrieve for her another duster. Placing the duster in front of her, she focussed... and concentrated... and focussed...  
  
Sky didn't realise she'd shut her eyes until she opened them once more. The marauders were cheering her, their voices raising above the din. Before her, crouching on the bench, was the complete opposite to James' albatross. The little bird was tiny, and had yellow and brown plumage. Looking up at her, the hummingbird cocked its head. With a high pitched cheep, the teensy bird fluttered over to her, landing on her shoulder.  
  
Sky face split into a huge smile. This was by far her greatest achievement... This tiny little creature. Giving its head a rub, she wondered if she'd be able to keep it. The sweety was the smallest bird she'd ever seen, why, it was shorter than her thumb! It's feathers tickled her ear, and she chuckled slightly. Peeking at the bird out of the corner of her eye, she mused allowed:  
  
"Now what am I going to call you... hmmm... well, you were a duster, so I suppose I could call you Dusty?" The bird seemed to be actually cheeping something in her ear. Bending her head closer, though not so close that she crushed the fragile thing, she asked, "You want to be called Fao? For the Flamingo, Albatross and Ostrich?" Sky had an odd look on her face as she glanced around the room, seeing everyone's different reactions. Catching her eye, Sirius walked up.  
  
Lifting Fao from Sky's shoulder, Sirius lightly perched him on the table. Sky looked at Sirius curiously, as too was Fao. On seeing his wand, Sky felt that she had to interrupt.   
  
"Ummm... Excuse me, Sirius," Sky asked tentatively, "but what are you just about to do to my bird?"  
  
Sirius looked back at Sky and gave her a smile that she suspected was meant to look reassuring. With Sirius, however, you could never tell. "Don't worry, Sky dearest," he replied, "I'll return your bird exactly as it is..." Despite his mischievous eyes, Sky decided to trust him. Allowing him to continue, she watched with interest as he proceeded towards Fao in a very regal manner.  
  
"Kneel, Hummingbird Fao," Sirius commanded. "Err..." said Sirius, looking at the little figure that remained staring back at him, "Oh, that'll do." Bringing forth his wand, he gently placed it so that the tip rested on the top of one of the birds wings, or its shoulder, realised Sky.  
  
"Arise, Sir Fao!" shouted Sirius, after doing a switch with his wand and moving it up and away from the bird. Everyone within hearing distance of Sirius cheered, though that, unfortunately, only caused to distress the birds once more. The flamingo, albatross and ostrich had actually begun to calm down, prior to the screaming and yelling of cheers that emitted from most of the class' mouth. The ostrich attempted to show off its amazing speed by running circles around the class room; while the flamingo prepared for lift off. The albatross, who had found a nice perch in the rafters, swooped down at the chaos, which was greatly increased by Remus.  
  
Having gotten hold of the tub of dusters, Remus succeeded in turning twenty dusters into a flock of multicoloured birds that swarmed around the room, flying just low enough to brush everyone's heads.  
  
"Enough!" shouted Professor McGonagall, trying to be heard over the din. Holding her wand to her throat she muttered "Sonorus," and this time when she shouted "ENOUGH!!" it was amplified enough to cause everything in the room to come to a halt. That is, except the albatross, who was in the middle of performing a miraculous dive. With a sickening crunch, the giant bird crashed into Peter, mushing him into the floor with the force of its fall. Seeing the gory mess, Professor McGonagall's face turned a ghostly white.  
  
Conjuring some massive bird cages, Minerva quickly enclosed what was left of the albatross and the rest of the birds inside them. Also conjuring a stretcher, she quickly placed Peter onto it, while at the same time asking some of the other Gryffindor students to accompany him to the hospital. As she surveyed the classroom, noting with disapproval the masses of different coloured feathers, she opened her mouth to scold.  
  
It was at that precise moment that the bell chose to interrupt, so she was left to glare a little longer. Quietly, she muttered "Class dismissed," and the students, happy to be gone from the suddenly hostile environment, left. Yet, as Sirius, James, Remus and Sky were about to exit the room she said: "Black, Lupin, Potter! You remain here. Sky Winkkin?" Sky turned fearfully to face the enraged professor - and was shocked to see a smile lit her face. "Congratulations on the hummingbird. You may collect him from his cage, if you wish. Your transfiguration was done very well, and I doubt that Fao will turn back into a duster at anytime in the future. Sky, you may leave now."   
  
Proud, Sky left the professor's presence, though she wondered whether she ought to stay behind for the others. Listening through a crack in the door, she decided that she could wait, as McGonagall was allowing the boys to leave - fir a little while.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"I am amazed at your display of talent, boys," said Professor McGonagall, though for praise it did sound rather scathing. "Unfortunately, I do wish that you had the SENSE to NOT display that talent within MY classroom by stepping OUT of the BOUNDS of an experiment that I, the professor - not you boys, but I - have placed for the safety of the other students! Don't you see that what you did was stupid! Not to mention exceedingly DANGEROUS! You saw Peter, all mangled and bloody!" Professor McGonagall was furious with the boys. "Never, in all my years of Hogwarts! SUCH stupidity... I simply can NOT believe it! It's certainly a good thing that you've already offered yourselves to clean my room, as it appears that you'll be very necessary with all this! I want you here TONIGHT, at 9:30 p.m., precisely!"  
  
James had been trying to get her attention for sometime now, though when Professor McGonagall turned her angry gaze onto him he became tongue-tied. "WHAT, Mr. Potter?!"  
  
"Erm... Umm... I wasn't, well, actually, urg, down for detention," stuttered James, meek in the face of such fury.  
  
"Well I don't care!" shouted Professor McGonagall. She was going red in the face, and all this noise had started the birds up again. James thought for their safety as the raging teacher appeared to get more annoyed by the second. "Get out of my SIGHT!" she yelled at the boys, "And don't forget: 9:30 p.m.!"  
  
Scooting out of the irate teacher's presence was done as quickly as possible. They didn't bother trying to collect their birds, they just hurried out of there, grabbing their books and running. Crashing into Sky outside of the classroom caused a mess, though as soon as they'd cleared up concern for Peter's condition overrode their hunger, and they rushed up to the hospital wing.  
  
A/N  
Well! That was a bit longer than I thought! Oddly enough, I have this really strong urge to put exclamation marks after everything I say now... Oh well!!! Exclamation Marks are FUN!!! FUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUN!!!  
  
Oi! My line of "fun" didn't come up as a spelling mistake! Now isn't that odd...  
  
I hope everyone liked that chapter! I had a bit of fun writing it, though you can probably guess that I wrote the whole wand bit at a different time. Sheesh! When is my style going to settle?! Grrr...  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my family, for informing me about albatross', for giving me the encyclopedia in which I found my little hummingbird and for buying the video of Fantasia 2000 that encouraged me to have a Pink Flamingo... Actually, I have to give Disney a BIG thankyou, as a lot of the things I do have been inspired by them...  
  
Umm... Inspiration peoples!! Thanks to those who review, you help me to keep writing, though unfortunately there just aren't enough of you :'( and also a thankyou to the fan fics of Admiral Albia, who has greatly encouraged this, and to Jilly-Chan, who made today bearable. I was sick all this morning, and some of the rest of today, so I've spent it reading "Lily and Prongs"...  
  
Oh well, that's enough of that! I hope you liked the birds, and if you have any ideas for the story, I'd really love to hear them. Although I already have the storyline pretty much figured out, I'm not completely certain what's happening with this wand thingo yet... Oh well, Peter's in hospital, so at least HE's where I want him! Stupid James! You were NOT supposed to join in! You're currently SULKING, remember?! Grr... Why won't these characters do what I ask them to?!!!!!!  
  
Ahh... Kablooie. Holidays are coming up, so I'll start doing the chapter to two chapters a day thingo again... This story is going to be LOOOONNNGGG! I really should be much further along by now... The bird scene was supposed to be the second chapter, not fourth! Ahkedrytelimphetinkelwingulquaaaaark! And that particular word was inspired by Sierra Charm. If you haven't read her stuff, then you simply MUST!  
  
Last but not least.... I have to thank my beta-reader and good friend, Ariqua, who hasn't actually seen this chapter yet, but hey! I'm posting it anyway... Ooo... And that's my stomach growling! Gotta go! Thanks all, and Tata.  
  
-wildcat- 


	6. Dreams and a Dark Mark

A Lily Love Story  
Chapter Five: Dreams and a Dark Mark  
  
Peter Pettigrew lay awake upon the bleached white of the sheets. Only a few beds over, he knew, lay Lily Evans. Large divisions surrounded her bed, while a powerful deep-sleep potion kept her from waking. It was only the knowledge of her bindings that stopped Peter from continually twitching nervously. It was the thought of what Lily would do with her rage once she awoke that frightened him. Peter didn't want to be anywhere within the vicinity when those green eyes of hers burst open. Not at all.  
  
Peter smiled at his thought: "Not at all", for they had been the exact words of their nurse, Madam Marmalade, earlier that day. After his 'accident' with the giant albatross in transfiguration, Peter had been rushed up to the hospital wing. At the site of his gory appearance, Madam Pomfrey, the training nurse, had gasped in shock and run yelling for Madam Marmalade. Madam Marmalade had the confidence that comes with experience, and her experience had certainly been vast. Peter supposed that somewhere in the woman's long career she'd come across an albatross mauled student: for she went about healing him with such precision and ease that he was certain she must have done it numerous times.  
  
Looking down to his thoroughly bandaged body, Peter was washed with a sudden craving to itch himself all over. The bandages had a hot and scratchy feel that he couldn't get rid of, but he knew that itching wasn't the cure. He smiled again as that brought him back to reminiscing on his earlier visit from the Marauders. Madam Marmalade's comment to his whine on "whether he could scratch himself free of the stupid bandages" had been an obvious one, "Not at all."  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"But pleeeeease Madam Marmalade!" whined Sirius, "We promise too be good." Remus and Sky nodded their heads, smiling, attempting to look innocent. Madam Marmalade took one glance at their faces and snorted in disgust. Her gaze disbelieving, she turned back to Sirius.  
  
"And what, might I ask, is your interpretation of 'good'?" asked Madam Marmalde, "For it certainly doesn't include silence, or manners. Or keeping yourself in the one place, or your hands to yourself," she got more and more worked up as she spoke, her face turning red through lack of breath. "Obviously, to you, 'good' is only the outcome of a successful prank!" Sirius and Remus attempted to look aghast and insulted, but their mouths were twisted in an attempt not to smile.  
  
Seeing their screwed up faces, Sky couldn't help but start laughing. She had infectious laughter, Remus noted, that gurgled up through her belly. He couldn't help but start laughing, and Sirius soon followed suit. Peter, who was lying groggily on the bed, began to laugh too. Disturbed from a peaceful slumber, Sky's pet hummingbird, Fao, jumped from his perch on her shoulder and began careering around the room.  
  
Bewildered, Madam Marmalade looked at the children in front of her. Hadn't she just been yelling at them? She questioned herself, running through her mind all her actions and spoken words... Nothing in there had, to her, any particular content that would encourage such laughter.  
  
Seeing the odd, confused look on the Madam's face only spurred the boys and girl on more. They couldn't help but laugh. Some instinct, however, must have informed Madam Marmalade that the group were now quite obviously laughing at her. Putting on her most disapproving glare, she waited for the laughter to subside.  
  
Half and hour later, Madam Marmalade's face was getting sore from holding it in a pose of anger. The muscles were strained and, wearily, she slowly relaxed them. Rubbing at her face with her hands, she wondered how much longer their laughter could go on.  
  
Sky couldn't help herself. Everytime she looked at one of the boys, she would laugh. They were pulling such funny faces! And then she glanced at the teacher, and noticed as the muscles, under too much strain, began to quiver. The twitchy face made her keep laughing, and her laughter being as it was - infectious - the boys began laughing too. Then they would stop to catch their breath, but with Peter being only semi-concious, he'd keep laughing, making a funny hooting noise. So Sky would start up again... And then Fao would fly into people, twittering in his own form of laughter...  
  
Professor McGonagall seemed to always walk into scenes of a chaotic nature, and this one was no different. Sirius, Peter, Remus and Sky were all their, leaning on another's shoulder and laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces. To add to the confusion, a little winged creature - Minerva was abruptly reminded of the snitch - was flapping around, running into things. Madam Marmalade, who should have been controlling this mess was sitting in a chair by the wall, apparently immersed in watching the clock.  
  
Glancing lazily over to Professor McGonagall, Madam Marmalade called out: "Over an hour! That lot have been sitting there, laughing, for OVER AN HOUR!" Her pointing thumb indicated the group laughing, who had slid down onto the floor, too weak to stand. Despite the entrance of the strictest teacher in the school, their laughter didn't cease. Sky, who had run out of voice, was now laughing silently, while the boys' rumbling laughter was beginning to sound distinctly croaky.  
  
"SILENCE," shouted Professor McGonagall as loudly as she dared. It was loud enough, however, for at last the laughing mass quieted. "Thankyou," said the professor, not as loudly as before. The stern look in her eye was enough to make Sky cough back the laugh that she had almost emitted. Trying to stop the laughter, however, caused her to hiccup. She hiccupped about ten more times until the Professor shifted her withering gaze to Madam Marmalade, who performed the simple remedy spell.  
  
The silence after the utterance of that spell was complete, forcing all but Professor McGonagall, who included all in her glare, to desire to shift their feet nervously. That would have made sound, however, and this noiseless atmosphere was unbreakable. That was, until it broke.  
  
The single drip of crimson blood, splattering to the floor, shattered the silence. First, however, the sound seemed to echo throughout the room, bouncing off one silent wall to the other. Then, as the sound sunk in, realisation dawned.  
  
"Professor! Your hand!" gasped Sky, pointing. Her eyes were wide as she saw the long cut running down from her forearm. The distance that the blood had travelled down her arm was considerable, with it stopping languidly in the cup of her hand to pool. Shoved out of the daze that silence had inflicted on her, Madam Marmalade's medical instincts were suddenly pushed into gear.  
  
"Minerva!" exclaimed Madam Marmalade, as she rushed over, conjuring bandages and blood-stop to her side. "However did this happen?" Frowning at the nasty gash, Madam Marmalade conjured up some thread and a needle, also, and, after numbing the arm with a few well chosen words, began to stitch it up.  
  
Rather than look at her arm, which was currently being sown up together, Minerva glared childishly at the boys; Sky was not included. "How did this happen, you ask?" she said, her glare deepening. "Why, I'm certain that one of these boys should be able to recognise it!" Remus and Sirius peered closer at the gash that was almost sown up. It looked as though a nail had made it. Or claw. On second thoughts, a claw: for certain. And that of either an ostrich... or pink flamingo.  
  
Sky began gagging as she attempted to stifle hysterical laughter. Peter looked around at the tableau before him, quite dazed; a smile gracing his lips. Remus and Sirius looked as though they didn't know how to look. With their faces twisted into an apologetic consternation, they tried to appeal to the pouting professor. Madam Marmalade unknowingly snapped the scene by calling out, "Okay, that's done. Just come up this evening, Professor, and I'll change the bandages. As for you boys... NO! You can NOT stay. NOT AT ALL!!" she shouted dramatically. Interrupting over the boys' "but" s and pleas she said, "And I won't here any more about it. Now scoot, all of you! OUT!"  
  
Meekly, the boys and Sky exited the room. Peter gave them a wonky wave from the bed, a stupid smile plastered to his face. Behind them went Professor McGonagall, nursing her thickly bandaged arm.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Sighing, Peter wondered if Professor McGonagall's bandages were itching, too. Attempting to roll over, he was pulled up short by the fact that he had been tied to the sides of the bed. Obviously Madam Marmalade considered him more able for night-time excursions than he felt. Peter only wanted to scratch - his legs ached too much for walking. Although, now that he thought about it... He wondered if the Marauders would come visit. Whether, at this moment, they were scheming up some fantastic plan to come and distract him from this agony.  
  
On second thoughts, no. As he glanced out the window, he noticed just how close it was to the full moon. If Remus wasn't already in full werewolf shape, then he would be soon. The grounds were lit with silver, giving everything a mystical quality. From his bed, he could only see the silvered tops of the Forbidden Forest and the clear sky above. The countless stars were bright sparks against the black of night, though their light was dimmed when placed beside the beauty of that nearly full moon.  
  
Suddenly, a sour knot pulled in Peter's stomach. Something ugly rent the air, a dying shriek of some kind. The cheers that accompanied it were loud and numerous enough to be heard through the slight opening in his window. A luminescent green scull burst forth into the sky, turning the silvered atmosphere into something harsher. All his life, Peter had feared that colour - green, especially when it was high up in the sky. And the dark mark still hung their, it's large mouth laughing.  
  
Peter wished he could draw the curtains closed, perhaps to block out the green filtered light that entered his room, or perhaps to hide the fact that another had died. However, unable to shut them, he resorted to turning his head away, so that his eyes might face another direction. Unknown to him, a tear trickled down his cheek, while fear coiled within his muscles. Yet awe at such power held him there. Still.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Another death, Professor?"  
  
"I fear so, Minerva." Professor Dumbledore's grey eyes were downcast, while a worried frown creased his forehead.  
  
"Was it- Was it anyone we know, Sir?" she stumbled, her eyes pleading with him for it to not be so. Death Eater attacks were becoming a weekly occurrence, and all too many were aimed at people she knew, or friends of her knew.  
  
"Not anyone you might know, Minerva," he said, gently. Relief clouded her eyes, though not so much for her own stress marks to disappear. Absently, she scratched at the itching bandages. "No, it was not any of the wizarding folk attacked this time. It was a muggle, living in the village out behind the Forbidden Forest. She was apparently tortured for sport, as it is said that she had caught the fancy of one of the Hogsmeade wizards." Sighing in resignation, Professor Dumbledore rubbed at his spectacles, attempting to clean their already sparkling surface. "The Ministry is already trying to clean up the mess, though they weren't quick enough to stop some of the Muggle police-men getting in."  
  
"I worry, Professor," spoke Minerva McGonagall, and her voice was certainly quavery, "I worry and wonder: for is anywhere safe?" They were standing outside the transfiguration classroom, where Minerva had been conducting a detention. Having forgotten her duty as a teacher, however, she was suddenly reminded of it when a small gasp alerted her to the position of the students. Remus, Sirius and James were all pushed up against the door, listening to the conversation through the small crack at the bottom.  
  
Swinging the door open, Dumbledore was only given a glance at the half tidied mess of feathers and bird poo within before the students were pushed out into the corridor. Her emotions only half under control, Professor McGonagall only gave them a quick: "Be back again tomorrow night," before the rushed them off on their way. Even Remus' "Erm, Professor...?" had only been met with a "Yes Remus, I realise, and you'll obviously be excused."  
  
"Not quite your usual reprimand, Professor," said Albus Dumbledore, a slight glimmer of humour in his eye despite the worried lines on his face. Minerva could only give him a withering look before, she, too, went on her way.  
  
"I must inform the Prefects - someone may already have seen the Dark Mark," she used as explanation for her abrupt departure. Albus, however, had seen the tears glistening on her cheeks, and with some surprise, after patting his cheeks noticed damp patches on his, too. Sadly, though with an angry adrenaline pumping through his veins, Professor Dumbledore quickly stepped away.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Despite being upset, the Marauders were confident of their safety. Professor Dumbledore was considered the strongest wizard of their time, so surely Lord Voldemort wouldn't dare approach Hogwarts. Yet the bad news had reawakened the fear within all of them for that of their family and friends. Wizarding orphanages had been set up all around the country to cope with the sudden increase in orphaned children. Unfortunately, in more cases than not, these children were killed with their parents. None of the boys, however, had ever lost anyone they knew to the clutches of death, thus they were filled with the belief that it could never happen to them.  
  
A worried frown pinching his forehead, James recalled his dreams. The fear of loss that he had felt within them was unbearable and simply remembering it made him shudder.  
  
"James? James?! JAMES!!!" a voice shouted in his ear. Then was suddenly quieted by everyone around him as they all recalled that it was late at night, and Filch, the care-taker, was wandering somewhere close by. An irritated look cast at Sirius by James stopped him from waving his hand up and down in front of James' face. The broad smile on Sirius' face mocked his temper, and James chose that moment to remember the incident in which he was curse unconcious.  
  
"So, what do you say about paying a visit to Peter?" asked Remus. Rather than bringing up the dark mark, Remus decided to change the topic of conversation to something a little more comfortable. Seeing the look on James' face, however, forced him to reconsider. They had forgotten that James wasn't allowed into the hospital wing. Or anywhere near it.  
  
Sullen, James looked up at them and said quietly: "Sure, you guys go up. I'm tired." An angry twitch to his step was the only sign betraying his bad temper as he quickly turned his back to them and walked the other way.  
  
"I don't think he's very happy," said Sirius, looking after his soon departed friend with a confused expression. James had always seemed like a bright light to him, what with his fun spirit and lively ways... Yet now. Now James was more often silent than talkative. Something must be bothering him, though Sirius - yet James had never really held a grudge before, and Sirius could not understand the concept.  
  
Remus turned his gaze from James and looked to Sirius. Trying to lighten the mood he said: "I'm certain I recall stashing some sweets somewhere around here... Peter will appreciate the treat, and if you search that side of the corridor, and I search this one, then we'll find it in no time." Late in their forst year, one of the Marauders had decided that it was necessary for them to have secret stashes of 'supplies' all around the school. The fact that on a previous night Professor McGonagall had raided their rooms and confiscated all their necessary survival equipment may have been inspiration to this sudden idea.  
  
"Yeah," said Sirius, as though coming out of a daze. "Yeah, you do that."  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
James awoke, gasping. He'd had that dream again, the nightmare, though he still couldn't remember a thing. All he felt was a sense of loss, as undefinable as one grey cloud from another. A sense of loss combined with the fear and pang of despair that followed. Quickly, too, like the trickling sand in an hourglass, that too began to drift away from foggy mind. Despite his reaches for that small memory, his grasp could not hold it. Like a smooth fish within icy water, its scales glimmering in their own sun, his tenuous grip could not hold it. Soon, all he could remember of the dream was loss. An indistinct, fearful sense of loss. Rolling over, the clouded fog soon took over his mind, and sleep wiped his thoughts away; marks etched in sand being blown in the wind. All that remains is loss.  
  
  
AN  
I'm so tempted to end it there... Not the fiction, but the chapter - yes! I'm sorry, but after a big break from my computer I really had to plow my way through the end of that one. My characters are so one dimensional! And James!! Ugh, what am I to do with a sulky boy like him?! Come on James, lighten up a bit!  
  
Yes, I realise that the whole dream thing is rather over used (about ten other fan fics I've read incorporate a dream into them somewhere.) But, I am actually going to have some plausible reason behind by he has these dreams. I am I am I am!!!!!!  
  
Eww... I really am in need of outside interference - even my author's notes are getting boring! I'm sorry Lily's faded into the back ground, I was actually going to pull her out of the closet in this chapter, but then I remembered that... well... I don't know what I remembered! It's 10 at night (which isn't late, I KNOW) and I'm tired as a wet dog after a looong day. Oh, and do you like my metaphors? I have some really good ones about crunchy bananas, frozen cherries and squishy cucumbers.... Perhaps I'll share them someday. But not now. Now is time for bed.  
  
I'm sorry about the length of this chapter - not to mention the quality! I'll write more when I'm actually motivated, that way you'll at least get something interesting.  
  
-wildcat- 


	7. Inspiration

A Lily Love Story  
Chapter Six: Inspiration  
  
  
"You won't believe what I heard!" whispered Peter Pettigrew as he sat down to his first proper dinner in what had seemed a lifetime. He had been stuck in the hospital wing for three nights, partly due to the fact that he was mushed into the floor by an albatross and also because of a recent murder in one of the surrounding towns. Everyone was still a bit touchy around the school, and going out of the grounds before 7am and after 6pm without a teacher present was completely out of the question. Or, at least, it was for some. In the guise of animals and were-wolf, the Marauders were still succeeding at exiting Hogwarts. James, however, had gone even quieter since the Dark Mark had lit the sky, and the boys had tried all the cheering charms they could find: without any lasting effects.  
  
"Why won't I believe it?" whispered back Sirius, in his usual irritating fashion. Remus shoved his question aside with a flick of his wrist.  
  
"What did you hear?" asked Remus eagerly. For once he was distracted from Sky, who was sitting over at the Ravenclaw table speaking quietly with some girls. Just because he wasn't watching her didn't mean he went without the knowledge of her every move.  
  
"And why won't we believe it?" repeated Sirius, poking his tongue out at Remus as he asked. His face got a smug look on it as Peter looked over at him and, smiling, answered his question first.  
  
"You won't believe it because it's unbelievable!" Peter smiled at his silly answer, wanting to laugh but knowing that it'd only make the news take longer to come out, and he doubted that his impatient friends would appreciate that. James was sitting at the other end of the table, pretending not to listen.. "What did I hear, Remus? Why, I heard the sugar sweet voices of Madam Marmalade and Madam Pomfrey talking. It's the content that's most important." Seeing the irritation on their faces, Peter's smile grew.  
  
Frustrated, Remus rephrased his question. "Fine then! What was the content of the conversation you listened to?"  
  
"Which one?" Remus and Sirius seethed with annoyance at the pointless answers. Even James gave a slight squirm, though no one noticed.  
  
"Okay, okay!" shout-whispered Peter when threatened with empty plates by Remus and Sirius. "They were saying that..." Peter's voice broke off uncomfortably as he suddenly realised that he was speaking into silence. From the disapproving frowns of teachers at the head table and a twinkle in the Head Master's eye, Peter guessed that everyone had heard him and dropped his embarrass reddened face to the table in shame.  
  
"While I am certain that Mr Pettigrew has heard something well worth saying, I do believe that it is I who should be speaking. Don't you agree, Peter?" asked Professor Dumbledore, the Head Master, with mock severity in his tone.   
  
A muffled "Yes" came from the Gryffindor table, though no one really knew from which student it came. After getting a response, however minimal, Albus Dumbledore shifted his gaze away from the student and scanned the rest of the school. He had managed to gain almost everybody's attention, and for such news as this, he felt it necessary.  
  
"I fear that a Dark Wizard may have entered the school." As he had expected, gasps and sudden mutterings broke the silence and spread throughout the room. A slight wave of his hand, however, managed to return the hall to some semblance of order. Many of the students now wore worried frowns upon their faces. "The means by which this dark wizard entered the school are unknown to me, however I have been informed that one wand has already been procured, though for what purpose I cannot ascertain. Nine nights previously a wand was stolen from Severus Snape, he is certain that he did not drop it, and the fact that any wand found would have been reported - and none has - gives me reason to believe him.  
  
"If, by any unusual chance, someone has picked up this wand and not returned it or given it to the teachers, could you please stand now." Professor Dumbledore finished with a stern gaze. The theft of a wand was a horrendous crime, for you effectively disarmed the wizard and made it him helpless against any form of attack. All wizards knew that muscles played little part in strength when within the world of magic.  
  
Remus, Sirius and Peter all looked at one another. They knew that they were supposed to be standing right now, yet for some reason none of them had risen to their feet. With their eyes they tried to force the other to his feet, yet the glaring and staring made no difference. It was as though someone had secretly performed the leg-locker curse on them, for they all remained seated in their chairs, blind to the looks more than half the school was giving them. Notorious for their pranks, stealing a wand (although low) was not an impossibility for tricksters such as themselves.  
  
Disregarding the fact that her friends were not standing, Sky Winkkin rose to her feet. She felt lonely being the only person in the hall standing, yet brave, also. The Sky Winkkin that Lily Evans had called "best friend" would never have stood with the entire school watching. It was exhilarating, and humerous, to watch as people prodded and poked, shifting their friends' attention to the only student standing in the hall.  
  
Suddenly, everyone was staring at Sky - and no longer was it exhilarating. It was scary. Beginning to tremble, Sky felt her knees stiffen and her fists clench. Her pulse quickened, and the blood rushed to her face. Only five minutes before she was calm: confident! Yet now... Now only the gaze of Remus, as he caught his eye with hers, kept Sky standing. She had never realised that the admiration in his gaze could be such an incentive. Courage flooded a body more used to quiet study. A movement of Remus' eyes, as they urged her to look to the head table, shifted her view from his face.  
  
The stern face of the headmaster had softened upon having a student stand before him. That it was Sky surprised him, though she was certainly a preference over some Death Eater.   
  
"Well? What have you to say for yourself?" asked Professor Dumbledore, keeping his gaze steady. Sky could only look at him, her mouth slightly open. Her lack of answer brought a slight twittering of noise to the hall. A glare at the students silenced them, though Albus Dumbledore's look did nothing towards improving Sky's confidence.  
  
A slight noise startled the now silent hall, the shifting of a chair sounds exceedingly loud when everybody is listening.  
  
"We found it, Professor Dumbledore," spoke Remus: Sky was no longer alone.  
  
"It was lying on the floor outside the library, Sir," continued Sirius. No one had seen him stand, and the usual gleam of laughter on his face was, for once, absent.  
  
Sky looked to the boys, relief clouding her gaze. As soon as Professor Dumbledore had begun to question her, she realised that any answer she might give would be completely inappropriate: she hadn't returned the wand because she hadn't remembered it.  
  
"Thankyou for your honesty, boys - and Sky," replied Albus, smiling. He lost his smile, however, as he continued:  
  
"Despite your honesty, however, it upsets me that it has taken you so long to tell us of the wand's whereabouts," Albus didn't acknowledge the fact that, possibly, without his prodding the wand would never have been found at all.  
  
Remus and Sirius looked at each other, trying to think up an excuse on the spot. They were surprised when Sky spoke for them.  
  
"I was afraid, Sir," spoke Sky, indeed her tremulous voice did sound afraid.  
  
"Afraid?" questioned Dumbledore, as though playing a game.  
  
Sirius answered this time, his sense of play kicking in. He answered with an answer far more serious than he wished to speak, though a foolish one would have landed him in trouble.  
  
"Of the Dark Mark, Professor Dumbledore." Even the slightest mention of the murder was enough to send the hall into silence once more. People whose conversations had begun once the Professor's had stilled their voices when the words were spoken.  
  
"Yes," said Dumbledore, musing to himself, the Dark Mark frightened all, "Yet I need more of an explanation. Continue, please."  
  
Remus felt it was his turn now. Peter had not even stood, yet no one had truly expected him to. Courageous in a mob: he disliked being singled out.  
  
"Due to the ...hrmm" Remus had a small coughing fit, considering what to say.   
  
"Detention?" supplied Sirius, his humour returned.  
  
"Yes," confirmed Remus, briskly carrying on. "Due to the detention we attended the night after our procurance of the wand," Remus didn't realise he was borrowing words of Dumbledore, "we were unable to give the wand into your safe keeping, Sir." It appeared that Remus had little more to say, so Sky took her line from him.  
  
"I promise we were intending on handing it in," spoke Sky in a sincere, nervous, voice. "Unfortunately, though, we didn't know to whom the wand belonged and, after the..." Sky hesitated, searching for a word, "umm... due to the... the..." Her nerve failing her, Sirius spoke into her silence.  
  
"Due to the Dark Mark," Sirius basked in the awe given to him at the mention of those feared words, "We gave up on any intention we may have had on returning the wand."  
  
"You must understand," continued Sky in that uncomfortable voice, "That we didn't know to whom the wand belonged, and nobody had spoken up about it. After Lord, Lor..." hesitating, Sky stumbled on her words, "Lord Voldemort's sign rent the air, we feared that the wand may have had some connection."  
  
"Honestly," concluded Sirius in that surprisingly sombre tone, "It was for the school's own protection that we kept our finding to ourselves."  
  
Dumbledore's face was a picture of solemn severity, though inside he was quietly chuckling. These children, with their wide eyes and quiet pleading voices had made a stunning performance - worthy of an Oscar, he thought to himself.  
  
"I thank you for your honesty," he replied, humble, "Though must ask that you put your fears to rest and return the wand to either Severus Snape, in person, or myself. If the wand is not in the possession of Mr. Snape before this time tomorrow then it will be at the risk of losing over 100 house points." Some students gasped at the massive tally of house points, though Severus felt he had been cheated and allowed his comments to be far more than a mere gasp.  
  
"What?" Severus exclaimed, incredulous, "No immediate reprimands? No hundreds of house points gone, this instant?" he couldn't believe it. "This is impossible! I have been deprived of my wand for the past ten - did you hear me? TEN days, yet all these, these CHILDREN," he spluttered, "get is a 'thankyou for your honesty'. How can this be justice? How can it be real! How can you-."  
  
"That will be quite enough, Mr. Snape," called Professor Dumbledore. Although his voice was quiet as he said this, the anger sparkled in his eye and, to the students, he appeared to grow taller. Ending with a faint squeak, Severus uttered no more.  
  
"As I was saying," continued the Professor, "If the wand is not returned before this time tomorrow, then 100 points will be lost. I feel, however, that your fears are reasonable considering the situation, and ask that if anyone," and now he looked to the entire school in general, "Feels the need of a confidante, then I am certainly to be trusted. As are all the Professors that work with us each day.   
  
"Thankyou for your time." Looking back to those standing he completed: "You may now sit. Enjoy dinner, everybody, and good luck with the Mid Year Exams."  
  
The general clattering and talking that usually accompanied dinner recommenced at the appearance of the night's meal.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Thankfully, Sky Winkkin returned to her seat. Smiling in relief, she smoothed the blonde strands away from her face, stopping in surprise when she felt the damp beads of sweat upon her brow. Glancing at her fingers, she shook her head in release and wiped the dampness off onto her robes. Glancing around the room, she once again caught Remus' eye. Not noticing the slight flush that lit her cheeks as she considered him, she smiled, pleased that he had helped her.  
  
Mouthing the words rather than shouting them across the hall, Sky said to Remus: "Thankyou!" though whether he understood her, she didn't wait to try and find out. Her usual ravenous hunger at last kicked in, and she obliterated it by stuffing herself with the delicacies arrayed before her.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Occupied with watching Sky Winkkin place morsels of food within her mouth, Remus Lupin didn't at first notice as his friends tried to obtain his attention. After a series of hand waving's, pokes and hits, however, Remus' thoughts were drawn away.  
  
"What?" he asked, irritated at the unwanted distraction.  
  
"What?" imitated Sirius, then, putting a lovesick look on his face, gazed dreamily off into space; a girl sitting across from him looked up at him and, catching his gaze, began to smile sweetly and giggle a bit - blushing furiously. Removing himself from the daze he looked to Remus and repeated himself:  
  
"What?"  
  
Realising he was being mocked, Remus made a sweeping gesture at Sirius, perhaps intended to inflict some kind of hurt, either way Sirius was unharmed. Remus stopped short. Peter, remembering the previous conversation, began to smile secretively as he wondered if either of them would think to ask.  
  
Ducking from Remus' blow, Sirius caught the smug look on Peter's face and paused, thinking. Considering the smile, not to mention the way it grew when Peter caught his friend's eye, Sirius slowly began to recall something.  
  
"Peter," Sirius said, the cogs of his mind slowly turning.  
  
"Hmm?" drawled Peter, languorous.  
  
"Peter, I seem to recall something. Something that you were saying... Saying before," Sirius hesitated, searching for the corrected word, "Before we were distracted."  
  
"Yes?" questioned Peter, an innocent look upon his face. "Please, continue."  
  
Remus spoke up in the gap, his own mind beginning to remember the previous conversation.   
  
"Hmm... Something about overhearing a conversation?" Asked Remus, his attention focussed on the ever-broadening smile Peter wore. "Please, Peter, do explain."  
  
"Certainly," concurred Peter, "Whilst in the hospital wing, I overheard a conversation."  
  
Sirius rolled his eyes heavenward in a dramatic plea for help. Remus, however, took it as encouraging that Peter had allowed them any information at all.  
  
"So, Peter," said Remus, eyes intense, "Do you think that you could tell us just what this conversation that you heard, whilst in the hospital wing, was about?" Belatedly, Remus had recalled Peter's previous responses, and tried to ask a much more direct question.  
  
"Okay then," replied Peter, unable to continue dodging the question. It seemed that dinner was almost over, and Peter felt that his news was much too exciting to wait any longer. "I overheard Madams Marmalade and Pomfrey speaking about our sleeping She-Devil. It appears that she is fighting the sleep-spell, and they're decided to bring her back into the world." Peter smiled at the looks on his friends' faces. All the boys had an opinion towards what should be done to Lily Evans, or the "sleeping she-devil" as the boys had named her. The Marauders supposed that, despite a passion to kill any and every person who stood in her way, she was probably quite nice. It was the fact that she was desperate to kill their friend, James Potter: that really upset them. "They're going to..."  
  
"They're going to bring that creature back into school?" Sirius interrupted, aghast, "What if she goes for James again? He'll need a constant body guard with Lily after him!" Remus smiled at his friends' dramatics. Although quite an intelligent person, sometimes Sirius just didn't see things all the way through.  
  
"I'm certain they'll find a means to control her first," said Remus, and asked, "Is that what you were about to tell us, Peter?"  
  
"It was, in fact," Peter smiled again at his friends. "They've decided to go with the secluded treatment and see if they can't calm her down. When she begins to sleep naturally they'll give her some lovely dreams." The questioning looks on Remus and Sirius' faces made Peter smile all the wider. He continued. "They're going to give her lovely dreams of James."  
  
A plate banging loudly from across the table was the only indication James gave of his eavesdropping. Abruptly standing up, he turned and walked from the table, his gait stiff as he strode towards the Gryffindor dorms.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Severus Snape was in no mood to be reckoned with. Furious that he had been proven wrong, he felt torn inside as he thought of his wand's return. He found it difficult to appreciate the fact that his wand had been found - entirely due to the fact that those who had found it he hated most. Also, he couldn't help but wonder why it had taken them so long to own up, and then to not even have so much as ten points taken from their house... He couldn't believe it.  
  
Having smoothed back his glistening hair in frustration, Severus discreetly wiped the grease from his hands off onto the black robes he wore. He would never admit to the Gryffindors that his hair was greasy, yet it seemed that he could never find the right charm or curse to clean it. Perhaps pride kept him from searching properly - by ridding himself of the problem he would be admitting its existence.  
  
Stepping away from the dinner completely dissatisfied, Severus left the hall and returned to the Slytherin dorms. Yet his mind wasn't focussed on the journey as he made it; all he could think about was revenge. Yes, this meant revenge on that stupid Black, disturbing Lupin, irritating Pettigrew and ... he could think of no name for James Potter, though death-deserving came to mind, for he was certain that Potter was somehow tied into all of this.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Having reached the boys bed-room, James promptly fell asleep. Without realizing it, he dropped through the layers of his mind, only occasionally drifting, dropping towards his inner depths. And inner eye.  
  
James didn't notice as the other boys came in, shoving and pushing one another towards their beds. Kicking off shoes and tugging off robes, they chatted amiably trying to see if their sound would awaken James. Yet James was too far down, too deep within to hear.  
  
He didn't awaken when they noisily went to sleep, or even when they all woke up again, half the boys intent on stuffing a sock into Peter's snoring mouth. James didn't even awaken when he began to speak. All he saw was the dream, and all he felt was fear. Fear of loss.  
  
"LIIILLLLYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!" he cried, despairing.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Did you hear that?" whispered Peter into the silence that followed the scream. All he knew was that he'd been woken abruptly awake by some loud noise. It had originated from James Potters' bed, yet the boys were too nervous to go over and investigate closely. "YooHooo!" called Peter, trying to hide his worry, "Is anyone else out there?"  
  
"Sorry, Peter," came Remus' voice out of the darkness, "I was trying to recall just what the sound was. Did you catch it, by any chance?"  
  
"All I got was the scream. And the fact that it came from James' bed," replied Peter unhappily.  
  
"What?" questioned Sirius, too drowsy to phrase a proper question, "What heard I did?"  
  
Their attention distracted by Sirius' poor grammar, there came a large amount of people questioning "What?" in reply.  
  
"I'm up," said Jordan, pulling the curtain from around his bed as he pulled himself up.  
  
"What was that noise?" asked Scott, as he too showed signs of waking. Soon all the boys in the room had wither showed signs of waking or made that clear by speaking. Except for one. James lay there, slightly twitching in his sleep.  
  
Realising that James was the only one not to have answered, Sirius questioned into the darkness: "James? James, are you there?" As his pleas met no answer they became more frantic. "James? JAMES?! Where are you? James..."  
  
"Shush, Sirius!" said Remus in a shout-whisper. Somebody light up their wand, or even a candle! You can't see anything in this darkness." Soon the pitch black of the room was dappled with shadows as light filled it. Everyone could see that James was still in bed, though he twitched strangely. Only Peter thought to associate it with the Cruciatus Curse.  
  
"Oh my... Oh, Oh my! Somebody's put him under the Cruciatus!" called Peter, hardly daring to rise his voice above a frightened whisper. "What shall we do? Oh what can we do!"  
  
Remus, looking for the aid of Sirius - who had by now woken up and looked as worried as the rest of them - slowly stepped towards the bed where James lay, twitching horribly. As though against his will, Sirius rose to walk with his friend. The few step that it was towards James' bed felt like miles, and yet they came too fast for Sirius' liking - he wished to postpone it as much as possible.  
  
A strange muttering sound seemed to be coming from James. It wasn't loud enough to carry in the near-silence of the room, though it was certainly loud enough for Remus and Sirius to pick it up as they slowly stepped closer to the bed.  
  
Uncomfortable, with their friends paralysed around them, Remus and Sirius reached their hands down to gently tap James on the shoulder. The movement brought their heads closer to his mouth, and soon the muttering that James was voicing became clearer.  
  
Softer than a whisper, yet louder than a breath, James was saying, over and over:  
  
"Lily. Lily! Run! I love you, Lily I love you. Lily, Lily! Lily. Lily! Run! I love you, Lily, I love you..."  
  
It took the boys only a short while to figure out who Lily was, and they almost cracked up laughing when they did. What taste! Their friend had fallen in love with the only woman in the whole world intent on killing him. Except, perhaps, for McGonagall... Or even his mother after James had used the gardens as his water bomb battleground. Either way, it was unbelievable.  
  
"I can't believe this," said Sirius, disbelief evident in his tone, "Our friend Jamsie in love with Evil Lily... Gosh - who'd've thought it?"  
  
"I still don't like the way he's twitching," said Remus, yet oddly enough as soon as the words were spoken, James' movements suddenly became smoother and less twitch-like. "Well, even if it is odd - I have to say that it's certainly better."  
  
"So we can speak now?" asked Peter, timid.  
  
"Certainly," said Remus. "Our buddy, Jamsie, here was just fantasising about his love."  
  
"Eww!" said Sirius, disgusted by the thought, "Did you have to put it that way?"  
  
"His love?" asked Peter simultaneously. "What do you mean 'His Love'?"  
  
Remus was smiling, yet Sirius looked ready to puke as he said:  
  
"James has got a thing going for that Lily creature."  
  
"Huh?" asked Peter, unable to believe.  
  
"You mean to tell me that I went to all that effort waking up just to hear about some dream James is having?" asked Scott, irritated. "Ugh! Let me go back to sleep, will you?" Rolling over, Scott first pulled the curtain shut and then, although no one could see it, wrapped a pillow around his head.  
  
Softening their voices, the boys continued their conversation. Excluding James and Scott, and Jordan who had already fallen asleep and snored quietly.  
  
"Well isn't this a strange development!" said Peter, surprised.  
  
"Strange doesn't describe the half of it... Although..." As usual, Sirius' sense of fun soon kicked in. It didn't take him long to formulate an idea.  
  
"I know that look in your eye," said Remus, "and I'm telling you that if your going to cook up some crazy idea involving Lily Evans then I for one think you should stop right now!" Already the memories of the last prank involving Lily Evans had awoken in his head, calling to his common sense. Despite not personally being a part in the prank, it still worried him.  
  
Peter, however, gained a similar glow in his eyes to Sirius. Just watching Sirius make up pranks was exciting, for Sirius would go into a kind of trance... and then suddenly snap out of it with the most brilliant scheme all laid out in his head. It must be a good one, thought Peter, for Sirius was already beginning to awaken, and the big smile on his face told more than words possibly could.  
  
"I have it my friends," said Sirius, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous spark in the 'lumos' lit darkness. "Inspiration."  
  
Peter looked on in anticipation, sitting forward and staring hopefully at Sirius with star bright eyes. Remus tried not to look encouraging, though the disapproving frown he wore was beginning to wear thin. Sirius was smiling brighter than Peter's eyes, no sign of discontent within his gaze.  
  
"A potion, for Lily. To return James' smile.  
  
"A Love Potion, my friends. Love..."  
  
Unknowing what he was in for, James left the dream that had haunted him so long now. Rolling over, he gave a light snore. Knowing nothing at all of what was ahead.  
  
AN  
WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!  
Can I do that again? Pleeeeeease?! Oh well - with or without you permission...  
  
WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!  
  
Sorry, I really should learn to control myself. Let me pull that to pieces. I "should". Does that mean I have to? I "really" should... Hmm, I think that's putting even more emphasis on the fact that I DO have to. Oh well :)  
  
WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!  
  
My elation is not due to the millions of reviews I am getting (partly due to the fact that the "millions" of reviews don't exist... Though I'm thankful for those that do) But is actually doe to the fact that I have just passed the 30,000 word mark. I've never written so much in my life! And to think, this really hasn't taken me very long at all... Perhaps I do have the endurance and determination to complete a novel... Though I sincerely doubt I have the typing skills. Even after 30 odd K, I still can't touch type - or even normal type - very well. I wish I had eyes on my fingers! Wouldn't that be helpful? Eyes on my fingers... Yes, I really do need to do something about that... How about an optic-glove. You wear it on your hands and there is a small camera on each fingertip. Though I suppose that could become a difficulty when gripping things...  
  
Anyway - enough of optic gloves, I really should get back on track to fan-fics!  
  
Thankyou to Ariqua for helping me to drag myself through this one, and to Sierra Charm (not that I've had much to do with her lately... And "Happy Birthday" by the way...) Also I give thanks to Tadariada, who's stories have pulled and tugged and pushed me back onto the track that I belong. Not that Tad even realises it.  
  
Umm... Inspiration for this story has been with me all along, so I can't really give specific thanks - apart from those up above.  
  
This story is dedicated to my sister's boyfriend (I fear I cannot give his name). He just walked through the door... so there you have it. Dedicated to: My sister's boyfriend.  
  
Last, but not least, I have to give a quick explanation of the names. First it was Muggle Mysteries - which I hated. Next a Lily Love Story, which took too long to become a Love Story. So now this is Prelude to a Love Story (I'm sorry if I stole this name from somewhere, though I do like it... :)) I've only got one chapter to go on "Prelude" then I'll get right into "Lily Love". Sound good to you? It sounds good to me!  
  
Thankyou everyone, read and review PLEASE!  
  
-wildcat- 


	8. Making Love

AN: This chapter is dedicated to Tropical Fishy and all of her stories. Without them, I doubt I could possibly have written any of this chapter. You gave me some great inspiration! :)  
  
Prelude to a Love Story  
Chapter Seven: Making Love  
  
The cauldron boiled and bubbled, frothing a mixture of a bright red. The fire beneath created eerie shadows on the old stone walls, only making the gloom seem closer in that dank and dreary darkness. From the pot emanated a bright red glow, casting its red lights on the faces of the two boys who slowly stepped around it. Looking slightly demonic in the blood red light, with jagged, flickering shadows behind them; the boys muttered soft incantations under their breath, pausing from their incessant mumble at the sound of a wolf welcoming the moon.  
  
Looking towards the sound, the small boy shuddered. All he could see was the red glow and dark shadows, though his ears worked fine enough. Despite close association with Remus Lupin, the fact that he was a were-wolf still scared him a little. Looking to his partner-in-crime, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew smiled at the look of concentration upon his face. Peter gave another little shudder and rubbed his arms, he didn't mind being able to hear and see, yet he would have been happy enough to lose his sense of general coldness. Although the potion was most definitely boiling, and it cast quite a lot of light, it still didn't emit much heat. Or, at least, not enough for Peter. Looking down his goose-bumped arms to his hands, Peter recalled that he was holding a small viol of clear liquid and glanced back over to Sirius.   
  
"Hey, Siri?" Peter asked, unworried about caution.  
  
"Mmm?" answered Sirius, his concentration still fixed on the mixture before him. He really didn't like that particular colour - it reminded him a little too much of blood. After all, a love potion should be pink or something. He hoped.  
  
"I wondered when you wanted the 'Tears of Torment'?" Peter had liked Sirius' rather dramatic name for the drops, but they were, in truth, tears shed through torment. The fact that they were squeezed out of James during a tickling war was beside the point.  
  
"You might as well toss them in now," answered Sirius looking at the viol in his friend's hands. "Maybe they'll dilute this colour a little. Or something like that, anyway." Once considered 'devilishly handsome' by almost the entire female population of Hogwarts, in the past two months since James Potter had slowly sunk into a state of depression James had begun to rather lose his laugh. Although he didn't show it often, he was quite desperate to find a way to cheer his best friend. This potion simply had to work.  
  
Peter and Sirius had spent the past month going out on night forages to the dungeons in search for different ingredients to add to their love potion. Not the type to do it all by the book, Sirius had created his own recipe, only occasionally glancing at proper love potions to check that he had the right idea. Already in their brew were some ground up leaves off the Womping Willow, for the tree had played a significant part in their dilemma. A single red rose was considered quite necessary, for it is the flower of love. There were some lily petals included, too - Peter thought it fitting; Sirius neatly avoided the fact that the lily is the death flower. A strand of hair from both Lily and James', head to bind them, was in there. Some memory modifier charms were obviously needed to override Lily's first impulsion: that is, to kill James Potter. A cockroach ended up in there too - Sirius saw it crawling around on the floor and thought to include it. Despite the effort it involved, Peter was quite adamant that some ground up unicorn horn was in there, also. Unicorn horn's magical properties included the ability to null any poison - for some reason Peter thought that their potion might be slightly poisonous. A tomato was chucked in, for Sirius said it would boost oestrogen, though Peter just looked at him oddly - either way, it ended up in the potion. Some other things the boys found on their Potion Master's shelf ended up in there, either through their interesting colours, shapes, sizes or just because they knew it would irritate their professor. And within the potion sat, rather near the bottom, a single shaving from Severus Snape's wand.  
  
The idea had been Remus', oddly enough, for although he did care about what happened to James, he had been rather occupied with a particular girl, not to mention exams. Sirius and Peter hadn't been too fussed towards how their results turned out, though the fact that for the first time in all their five years at Hogwarts James hadn't come out top in transfiguration did shock them rather. In fact, Sirius had been the one to go best - despite the general lack of study. Severus' wand had been a pure stroke of genius, and the fact that fate dropped it into their hands did help them to decide just in what manner they would use it. Severus had been the main cause of Lily Evans' problems in the first place, so it seemed only natural that some part of Severus would end up in the potion. Peter had suggested the use of a hair strand, though flatly declined to touch the greasy gunk upon his head. As no one else had been willing to risk the sheer oiliness of it, they decided that the wand would be better.  
  
How the marauders came across the wand was indeed fate. They looked on the floor and there it was. A wand. They doubted that Severus would even notice the slight scratch in his already dirty and (greasy, Sirius considered it) finger-marked wand. In preference to handling his wand, Remus did the deed, taking a small sliver from the wand with his knife. As the wand essentially chooses the wizard, it is considered quite obvious that the wand would in some way have a very special connection with its own particular wizard - or, at least, that's how Remus surmised it. More likely was the fact that they enjoyed defacing Severus Snape's property.  
  
"Umm... Sirius?" asked Peter, a slight tremble to his voice. Sirius snapped out of his reverie and returned his gaze to the still boiling cauldron. Doing a double take, he looked over again in shock. What had previously been a blood red potion had now changed its colour considerably. Not to mention its volume.  
  
"Strange," said Sirius, sounding completely unfazed. "It appears that the tear drops have had an unexpected effect." This was rather an understatement, and Peter was near pulling his hair out with worry because of it.  
  
"Well don't you think we should do something?" asked Peter, more frustrated at the quickly disappearing liquid than he would have liked to admit.  
  
"Okay," said Sirius, simply. "You lift up the pot, I'll pour it into the spare viol."  
  
Easier said than done, Peter had to first scrounge around searching for his dragon skin gloves before he could possibly contemplate picking up that boiling hot pot.  
  
Irritated at his friend's slow pace, Sirius tossed him a pair of gloves and said: "Here, slip these on - they may be a little big, but I'm certain that they'll do the job."  
  
Pulling the much too big gloves on, Peter only had a short moment to survey the scene before him - chaotic shadows included - before Sirius pushed him towards the cauldron, urging him to move faster.  
  
Carefully, Peter lifted the extremely hot and heavy cauldron. Too carefully for Sirius, who pushed and shoved at him until he finally got the pot in position. Scooping out the rapidly decreasing potion, Sirius used his ladle to pour the liquid into the small viol they had spared. Once filled, he stoppered the bottle and placed it on a small bed of rose petals, wrapping the flowers around it and then that bundle into a small heart shaped, pink blanket.  
  
Sirius was quite disgusted. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm taking a part in this. Honestly - heart shaped blankets... Rose petals... All for some girl who couldn't care less about us! Please, Peter, remind me as to just why I am doing this?"  
  
Peter gently placed the cauldron back to its place on the fire, watching in fascination as the final two drops were evaporated into a slight scent that he couldn't really place. Somewhere cross between a rose and cockroach, he guessed.  
  
"Peter!" called Sirius, raising his voice to get the other boy's attention, which came to instantly. Before he could answer, though, a large bang in the distance disturbed them.  
  
"That sounded like a door shutting," whispered Peter, fearful.  
  
"Mmm," responded Sirius, his voice thoughtful.  
  
"Well?" asked Peter, after waiting for an entire minute, expecting a somewhat more informative response from his friend.  
  
"Well, what?" asked Sirius, right back at him. "Oh," he said, mocking sudden realisation, "You think we should do something about it?"  
  
Loud footsteps, echoing down the stony stairway, were all the answer he needed. Both boys looked towards the door closest to them, expecting it to open any second.  
  
"Quick!" shout whispered Sirius, suddenly all action as he pulled the steaming cauldron off the fire. "Douse it with some water."  
  
"What water?" cried Peter, frantic.  
  
"This water!" said Sirius, quickly transfiguring a bucket of water for them.  
  
"No! No, no, no, no , NO!!" cried Peter, even more worried than previously. "Change it back, QUICK!"  
  
Looking to the bucket, Sirius changed it back without really thinking. Only when he saw what it had actually been did he realise just what the consequences could have been, for, now returned to its rightful place, Sirius felt a tad sick as he saw the heart-wrapped bundle innocently sitting there.  
  
"Oops," muttered Sirius.  
  
The sound of footsteps, undoubtedly getting closer distracted him from his momentary reminiscence, reminding him to quickly transfigure the small fire at his feet into a little black spot.  
  
"Compliments on the spot," muttered Peter, smiling.  
  
Sirius smiled himself, looking at where the fire had been. Only, without the fire he could not see at all, and quickly remedied that by whispering "lumos" and watching as his wand-tip grew light.  
  
Thrusting the cauldron at Peter, who hadn't yet taken off the too big dragon-hide gloves, he didn't bother watching as Peter wobbled for a bit before finding his balance, feeling it much more important to begin counting cracks in the stones at his feet. It was quite interesting really, just how the cracks varied... Some were large, and some were small.  
  
Meanwhile, the footsteps grew ever louder, and closer.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Sirius had to smother his mouth to stop it from bursting in a loud laugh of triumph. They weren't always able to outwit the caretaker, Filch, so easily. Above him he see only the faint light of the lantern shining through the cracks in the floor over his head. Some large cracks let quite a bit of light through, while the smaller ones let barely any in at all. A small square comprised of four fine cracks was rather obvious from this angle, though when looking at it without the light shining through the trapdoor was hardly noticeable at all.  
  
Soon they sat in darkness once more, as the light and soft footsteps receded. Practicing a caution that he didn't usually bother with, Sirius made himself and Peter sit in the darkness for a full ten minutes before they risked raising the trap-door once more. Ignoring Peter's nervous tugs on his robes, he sat in the darkness, focussing - almost - all his concentration on listening for any signs that would imply Filch was still waiting for them. Soon, however, Peter's tugs became more and more insistent, not to mention irritating. Sirius turned around with the intention of whispering at him to stop, when his eyes caught the glint of something else'.  
  
Rather than waiting around to see what the something else was, Sirius quickly pushed up the trap door, forcing himself inelegantly out of it. With know hands grasping out of the darkness to grab at him, apart from Peter's, Sirius presumed it safe and lit his wand. It was a moment before he thought to look down and see just what was beneath the stone floor.  
  
Holding his wand before him, with Peter cowering behind, Sirius lowered his arm down into the hole. Down into the hole, with the wand lighting the way. Sirius was just in time to catch the brighter glow of an eye this time, before the rhythmic shine of scales showed that the snake was slithering away.  
  
"Now wasn't that odd," he muttered, more to himself than the boy at his back.  
  
Peter, however, wondered just where that snake had come from. And just where the snake was going.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"What were you doing all night?" asked James, with all the irascible behaviour of an angry mother. Or a stampeding rhinoceros.  
  
Sirius looked at his friend, noticing the rings around his eyes and edge to his voice. Obviously James hadn't gotten enough sleep. Again.  
  
"We were in the dungeons, making love," replied Sirius, trying to sound nonchalant, accenting and extending the word "love". By "we" he meant himself and Peter, who looked worried at first, before catching his drift.  
  
"What?!" spluttered James, spitting pumpkin juice all over the table juice, no seeming to notice all the Gryffindors who got sprayed in the process.  
  
"Just as I said," replied Sirius, smiling slightly, "Peter and I were busy, making love in the dungeons."  
  
"With Peter?" asked James, disbelief clouding his voice as he searched for clarification.  
  
Sirius looked at over at James before answering, as if he, Sirius, were a wise old uncle explaining the meanings of the universe to his young nephew.  
  
"Of course, with Peter," he answered, "Whom else would you expect?"  
  
"A girl," muttered James, his face confused as he shook it from side to side.  
  
"Oh, James. Poor, poor, James," Sirius had a condescending look upon his face, as he shook his head in mock sympathy - imitating James without even realising it. "You should know that there aren't any girls that I'm even nearly as close to as Peter here..."  
  
Peter looked ready to explode, though with laughter or outrage - few could tell.  
  
"Could've fooled me," replied James, rising his eyes from the table, "from what I'd heard, you were getting pretty cosy with that Sandra girl." The table fell silent at this, except for James, who spoke on without appearing to notice his audience - or the red colour that Sirius' face had abruptly changed to. "Hmm..." he continued, "and what were you saying the other night?" he asked, not really expecting an answer, "Something about the colour of her eyes and the shape of her-,"  
  
James Potter was abruptly cut-off from finishing the rest of his sentence, most likely because Sirius had wrapped his arms and hands around James' neck and over his mouth. Mumbling something in regards to the colour of Sirius' face - which was now a glowing red - James was soon escorted from the room, Peter in tow and unable to stifle his laughter.  
  
Despite a bubble of irritation, Sirius couldn't help but be pleased. Perhaps they wouldn't even need the love potion after all, for James hadn't been this happy in weeks.  
  
As for Cassandra Reade, she didn't know what to say. But her cheeks had answered James' comments with a slight flush of their own. Yet inwardly she beamed. She'd never even considered that Sirius the Sirius Black might have liked her.  
  
Although, as she thought about it... Sandra sank down in her seat, oblivious to the envious looks that were being thrown at her, as she began to fantasise. "Cassandra Black," she thought to herself: not bad, not bad at all. She didn't know that she was smiling, but the big broad grin on her face could not easily have been mistaken for much else.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Do you really think he likes you?" asked Loretta Myer, one of the numerous girls who had been pestering her all day since James had mentioned her at breakfast. Most of the other people had been either ignored or snapped at, but Cassandra Reade really couldn't do that to one of her closest friends.  
  
Brushing her peroxided hair off a neatly robed shoulder, Sandra, as she was better known, turned her brown eyes to Loretta.  
  
"I don't know, Lora," she replied, managing to sound excited and worried all at once. "I hope so, I really do, but he's never even looked at me before." That was rather an under-statement, as Sandra had been talking to him quite happily in their most recent Care of Magical Creatures class. "Him" of course was Sirius Black, the best looking boy in the school, though some girls thought his best-friend, James Potter, more to their taste.  
  
"I bet he does," replied Lora, just as excited for her friend, as she would have been for herself. "And, you're lying about him never having looked at you - what about all those potions lessons earlier this year? Didn't I tell you that he'd been looking at you the entire time? Didn't I?" Lora seemed quite desperate for an answer, so she nodded her head absently, not that Sandra could even remember being told anything of the sort.  
  
Seeing the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room ahead, Sandra asked Loretta to go ahead. She had previously been bombarded with questions as it seemed the entire female population of Hufflepuff house had felt it their personal job to sort out just what her position was as Sirius' 'apparent' girlfriend. Well, that was most of them; others had gotten it into their head that it had been James who was interested in her, or even Remus! It seemed that all the girls had their eye on these boys, and it only made Sandra feel all the more lucky.  
  
Or not.  
  
Turning around at the sound of giggling voices and quick footsteps, Sandra saw a group of even more girls running up to her. Pushing her hair behind her shoulders, she prepared herself for answering a few thousand more questions about her supposed love life.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Sky Winkkin bounded into the Gryffindor common room quite openly, despite rules stating that she wasn't even supposed to know where it was. The Marauders had decided it was too hard to keep organising other places for them to meet, and felt that just giving her the password to get by the fat lady would be much simpler. Sky was happy with this arrangement, because it meant that she could easily creep up on the boys unawares.  
  
Whether she'd bounded or tiptoed, she doubted that Sirius and Peter would have noticed her in either case. Seated far from the fire, they were muttering things quietly to one another, almost hidden in a back corner. James was nowhere to be seen, yet that wasn't too unusual. In the past month and a bit that she had known the Marauders, she hadn't even spoken a full three sentences with James.  
  
Stepping up behind him, she didn't wait for Sirius to acknowledge her presence before she jumped right on top of him. The shy, unconfident Sky that had once been was hardly even recognisable in this zealous, happy girl. She ignored his grunts and groans, knowing that she didn't weigh enough to really earn his grumbling about having a mammoth fall on top of him from nowhere.  
  
"I bet you I could do that, if you like. Mammoths can't be near as hard as people make out," Sky answered his grumble, a small wrinkle on her nose as she frowned in thought. Not only had she as a person become much more confident, her school grades had improved considerably. When she had been learning from Lily it had been more that teacher/ student relationship. Now, however, she enjoyed competing with the boys. Not that she was anywhere near up to the standard of Sirius, Remus or James.  
  
"What would you use to make a mammoth?" asked Sirius, disbelieving.  
  
Sky looked around the room a little, seriously considering the question, before she answered. "I expect that the chandelier could do, though now I'm not so certain...  
  
"Too complex," replied Sirius, "what you'd really need is a big single something. I expect a fat, juicy Slytherin would do the job," Peter gave a snigger, "Though unfortunately we're currently in the Gryffindor common room. Which brings me to my next question!" he continued, changing the subject abruptly. "Whatever are you doing here, Miss Winkkin of Ravenclaw?"  
  
"Gosh, thanks for the all pomp and circumstance," she answered, "But why do you think I'm here?"  
  
"To speak with Remus?" Sky gave a small grown, "Who isn't actually in residence, currently," he finished, quickly. Sky gave a small frown at this.  
  
"Why? Where is he?"  
  
"Didn't he say?" asked Sirius, a slight gleam in his eye that Sky couldn't interpret.  
  
"No..."  
  
Sirius sighed, and wondered just how long he was going to have to cover up for Remus.  
  
"Remus' great-aunt's husband's cousin died." Sky looked a bit confused at all this elaborate information, so Sirius answered her simpler. "He's at a funeral."  
  
"Oh!" she responded, a shocked look to her eyes. "I hope he's alright, It was horrible when my grandmother died. I felt torn, for days and days. How was he when he left? Worried? Upset? Crying? Oh, I hope he wasn't crying! Oh, I feel so sorry for him..."  
  
Sirius almost wished he'd said nothing at all. Giving a slight sigh, he realised that this would be another thing he'd need to explain to Remus when he... returned. The teachers had currently runout of different 'amazing new creations' that would cure his were-wolfishness. This time round he'd spent the three nights of the full moon safe and sound in the Shrieking Shack.  
  
It was the silence that brought him back to the present, for Sky had quietened down now, though she still appeared to be thinking of all the horrible things that could be going on in Remus' head - the cute little frown gave her away.  
  
A sudden shriek from across the room broke the silence. A group of girls that had been standing near the fire gossiping about something or another had progressed their conversation into an all-out catfight. One girl was sobbing while another wrenched at someone else's hair. Other girls stood around staring, while some started placing blame. None attempted to halt the two (now rolling around on the floor) fighting, or calm the girl who's sobs were beginning to sound hysterical.  
  
"It's probably about you, you know?" said Sky. Sirius decided that she must have broken out of her own thoughts soon after him, for her eyes were on the gaggle of crazy girls.  
  
Her remark didn't really register in Sirius' mind until a short instant later, and he looked back and forth from the girls to Sky, appalled.  
  
"My fault?" he asked, aghast at the suggestion. "However could this be my fault? What did I do?"  
  
Sky looked at him, surprised. "Don't you hear rumours or something? Honestly, it's going around the school like wildfire!"  
  
Sirius just shook his head, unknowing. "What, exactly, is 'going around the school like wildfire'?  
  
Sky still couldn't believe it. "Why, the news about you and Cassandra Reade, of course!"  
  
Sirius fell back in the cushions, a look of complete and utter mazement on his face.  
  
"We didn't confirm anything, though! Nothing at all," Sirius opened his eyes and straightened up, yet only so that he might be able to bow his head and shake it, disbelieving. "I'm in complete shock."  
  
"Well you're not the only one!" replied Sky, "From what the rumours say, you and Sandra are an item! It looks like you've got a girlfriend, Siri... whether or not you like it."  
  
Sirius gave a slight smile at the last comment. "Don't worry too much, Sky," he answered, hitting Peter at the same to cease his silent laughter. "I did... sorta... like her in... the first place," he mumbled, hating himself as he said it.  
  
"Oh, this is just fabulous!" squeaked Sky, ecstatic, "Just wait until I tell Sandy!"  
  
Peter's laughter couldn't be stopped this time, and it gurgled out - uncontrollable.  
  
Sirius wished he knew where James was, either way he was going to pay. Whether or not he needed it, Sirius was going to give his friend a little helping hand onto the bumpy road of love. As they say, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.  
  
  
A/N  
  
Okay, am I allowed to call that a pointless chapter? I am? Good... Because, you know what? I think that last chapter was completely and utterly pointless. I really have to cut the whole pointless thing, don't I? I might as well tell you what they eat for every meal and the exact times that they go to the toilet during the day. All of it's pointless.  
  
Oh well...  
  
Stupid Sirius. I wasn't intending to make little romances flower everywhere, but James just couldn't keep his big mouth shut. Grr! And I was actually considering a different plot line, but now Sirius is going to get his revenge, so that just wrecks what I was going to do. Ugh! Why didn't anyone tell me that these characters had a mind of their own?! And while I'm at it, isn't James supposed to be unhappy? And Sky meant to be shy? I suppose they just hated what I'd done with them. Sky's acting more and more like me each day, while James is actually cheering up.  
  
I need to get grumpy again. It's impossible to have grumpy characters when you've got a happy author. In truth, I'm just happy to be writing again, for I've left this for quite a while now. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hmph!  
  
Ahhh well, I'm certain that the story will sort itself out. I've got to stop having characters whose names begin with "s" though, because not only do I get Sirius and Severus confused, but now I'm mucking up Siri, Sky and Sandra, too. Ooo the horrors of writing.  
  
I'd better stop soon, otherwise my author's note'll end up longer than the story! Now wouldn't that be odd... I hope my writing style is improving! Unfortunately I've got exams coming up this week, and the week after - bleugh! - so I don't think I'll be able to write all that much, which is really irritating, because this story only has one more chapter and an epilogue to go! Then on to Lily Love, which should be much MUCH more interesting.  
  
I'd best be gone now - I've still got a delightful amount of study and homework to do...  
  
-wildcat- 


	9. Waking...

Prelude to a Love Story  
Chapter Eight: Waking...  
  
"The sleeping princess is waking," muttered Madam Pomfrey, as they quietly sat by the bedside of a beautiful girl. Her red hair lay in a circular pillow, surrounding her - a soft sea of curls. A neat chin and pale skin with only a scattering of freckles over a small nose, she was certainly not ugly. There was a slight flush to her cheeks, as though she may have been running, and he eyelids flickered continuously, making thick eyelashes brush her, rapidly.  
  
"She's been under the sleep spell too long now. I'm certain that together we could keep her asleep for quite sometime, but only against her own will. Her body is fighting us now." As she said this, Madam Marmalade looked rather downcast. It had been many weeks now, yet they still hadn't some up with a good enough idea to heal her spirit.  
  
On the bed, looking like a sleeping princess, lay Lily Evans. Emotionally charged, slightly insane, and with hatred seething through her veins. Poppy Pomfrey couldn't help but shudder at the thought of those eyes, filled with hatred, looking directly at her. Shaking off the thought, she began considering different ways of fixing Lily's ravaged mind, and she was certain that Madam Marmalade was doing the same thing, yet all Poppy seemed capable of doing was noticing the walls. They were white. White walls, white sheets, white blankets. Not only were they sanitary, the colour seemed to have a soothing effect on her mind... Poppy felt herself drifting towards sleep. And then woke up quite suddenly as she understood what her discovery meant.  
  
"White," she said out loud. Madam Marmalade looked at her quite oddly, perhaps thinking the young nurse mad.  
  
"Poppy, Dear, what was that you said?"  
  
"White!" she cried again, though this time much later, waking the boy in a nearby bed from the deep slumber he had been immersed in. The girl on the bed before them moved her head, her eyelids fluttering even more swiftly. Her arm lifted, slowly, towards her face.  
  
"Poppy! Shh... Be quiet!" whispered Madam Marmalade in a fierce voice, dimming Poppy Pomfrey's excitement instantly.  
  
"Sorry," Poppy said, meek.  
  
They both breathed a sigh of relief as Lily Evans returned to her previous state - not quite asleep, yet not awake.  
  
"That's okay, child. Now what was it you wanted to tell me?"  
  
The enthusiasm returned to Madam Pomfrey's voice, though this time she was much quieter as she said:  
  
"White." Madam Marmalade could only look at her oddly. "White! Don't you understand?" Quite obviously, she could not, so Poppy continued. "White, its calming, soothing... Perhaps if we woke her up in an entirely white room? Nothing else, no people, no sounds - nothing intruding. Once she is awake, we'll be able to perform a simple memory charm, and all will be well!"  
  
Madam Marmalade's eyes turned down, however, and Poppy's bright eyes began questioning.  
  
"We already discussed this once, don't you remember?" Poppy shook her head. "We contemplated giving her seclusion, and letting her wake up alone... But that still left us with the problem that as soon as something intruded on her waking mind, she would immediately recollect her crazy state and return to it." Madam Marmalade gave an audible sigh. Poppy was, however, desperate for her idea to work, so she persisted.  
  
"What if we were to slowly introduce her to humans? Or we could try to manipulate her dreams, at least that way she'll sleep naturally." Madam Marmalade seemed keen to remain cynical, however.  
  
"That's hoping that she sleeps at all. Remember, she's been sleeping for a long time now - if she pushes herself, she can probably go without sleep for a long time. And what if she were to become suicidal? We have no padded rooms in this facility! We are no mental asylum!"  
  
"Lily Evans is not mental!" Poppy had never raised her voice at Madam Marmalade before, and both of them looked quite shocked by the outburst. "I am sorry," Poppy tried to redeem herself, "But we need to somehow improve the situation, and you are only bringing up all the negative sides! Should something go wrong, then we will, at least, know her mental situation and be able to act accordingly."  
  
Out of Madam Marmalade's aghast face there came a beatific smile. "Madam Pomfrey, I think we'll make a nurse out of you yet!"  
  
Poppy couldn't help but give a little smile, she was, perhaps, a little surprised.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Someone else was smiling, too.  
  
Oh, goody! Severus Snape thought to himself, still lying where he had woken up. The Marauder's last prank had ended him up in hospital, yet now he couldn't help but be happy because of it. 'Li'l Cry-Baby Lil' was coming back to school... he was certain that he could use this to his advantage.  
  
Severus' smile grew into a snicker, and from there turned into a laugh. Yes, he would certainly reap the rewards.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"Oh, Sevvy, dearest! Are you awake?" asked Madam Marmalade as she stepped quickly past the curtain that partitioned off his bed from Lily's. Severus' laughter stopped at once. He hated being called 'Sevvy'. Turning his glaring face into a beaming smile, though it was rather twisted, he waved to Madam Marmalade and called:  
  
"I am feeling much better now, thankyou." Severus could be charming when he wished, though the hooked nose, greasy hair and rumpled smile usually made him more off-putting than engaging.  
  
"Well, then perhaps you are ready to go back out into the real world!"  
  
"And leave you? Never!" Inside, Severus was shuddering at what he was saying, wanting nothing more than to be rid of her presence. Unfortunately, the amount of occasions upon which he was forced to visit the Hospital wing were quite numerous, so it was worth being on good terms with the staff - if only to avoid the Madams' vile potions.  
  
"It seems you never do leave us, Sevvy darling," said Madam Marmalade, beginning to frown as she considered just how often she did see Severus. "Which is all the moire reason for you to go now," she continued, brightening. "I can't have you missing any more of precious school!" Severus shook his head, trying to hide a feral grin with a look of sadness due to the missing of classes and an imminent departure. Sighing sadly, Marmalade looked to the chair upon which rested Severus' clothes. "Well, there are your robes. Once you've finished dressing, come to the office and I'll sign you out." With that the Madam left the room, coming across Madam Pomfrey in the process.  
  
"Poppy! Are you still in shock? Perhaps I should have you in one of these beds too!" Madam Marmalade almost laughed at the look of surprise in Madam Pomfrey's face as she looked up from where she sat.  
  
"Oh, no, Madam Marmalade. I am quite fine, thankyou. I was just considering the finer details of our plan," she spoke, though looked slightly confused when she asked Madam Marmalade, "I was just wondering about how we are going to go about creating this room... I suppose padded walls may be necessary... I really don't know-."  
  
"Doubting yourself, already?" asked Madam Marmalade, looking fondly down on her apprentice. "Don't worry, I'll organise a meeting with Professor McGonagall, she really is rather in the know on these matters of making things." Madam Pomfrey smiled at her mentor, glad to have that sorted out. "If the need arises, I'm certain that necessary changes can be catered for."  
  
"Thankyou, Madam," replied Poppy, looking very grateful, though a frown creased her forehead as she looked over to where her 'sleeping princess' lay. "But whatever we do, we'd better make it soon-."  
  
The sleeping she-devil's eyes were open, and she glared at them menacingly.  
  
~~ Author's Aside ~~  
  
Naughty, I know, but I feel it is necessary to inform you that Lily Evans is not possessed, however much she may act it. (And I'm getting all these freaky pictures in my head from 'The Exorcist' just thinking about it!) She is merely very crazy, and on the brink of insanity. Don't fear, our loving heroine will prevail, however it is the process through which she does this that I am currently writing about. Oh, and a bit of extra information? No, she doesn't kill anyone... yet. ;)  
  
~~ End Author's Aside ~~  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Erm, Professor?" asked an interrupting Poppy Pomfrey. She hadn't been long out of Hogwarts herself, and the fact that she had an almost equal status to that of one of her previous teachers awed her a little. She still couldn't believe it, and coming to McGonagall's office had always been in accompaniment with some form of punishment. It was hard for her to change ingrained beliefs.  
  
Madam Marmalade barged past Poppy, not caring in the slightest about whether she was interrupting the Professor or not. The Madam had been at the school long enough now to forget any previous reservation she may have had towards certain Professors - not that she had ever been taught by Professor McGonagall, for when she had been at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore had been her transfiguration teacher.  
  
"Come in," called Minerva McGonagall, looking up from the schoolwork she had been correcting. Minerva's office was very ordered, with numbers on draws and books on shelves placed in strict alphabetical order. The fire burned brightly, however, and the nurses welcomed the warmth. A massive portrait of Godric Gryffindor hung over the fireplace, though few would have recognised the smiling wizard as he. Madam Pomfrey stopped her eyes from roving over the room as Madam Marmalade began, getting straight to the point.  
  
"We require your aide, and perhaps that of some of your better students, in creating a room within Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows, questioning, and Madam Marmalade hurriedly continued. "The room is for the student Lily Evans, whom I expect you know of?"  
  
"Unlikely as it may be, considering that she is in Ravenclaw rather than my own house. But yes, I do know of Lily Evans. And her state of mind."  
  
"Good, then you will have some idea as to the room's necessities. We have decided on all white, for that is certainly the most calming colour. Also we were considering whether or not padded walls would be in need..."  
  
"Surely not!" replied Professor McGonagall, quite adamant. Why, for her to wake up in a padded room... She will immediately think herself crazy! If you are going to that extreme, why not go to another and tie her up in a strait jacket!"  
  
The madams looked quite surprised at Professor McGonagall, especially Poppy, who had never seen the Professor so distraught.  
  
"I am s-sorry," stuttered Madam Pomfrey, trying unsuccessfully to hide her surprise.  
  
"As am I, dear," said Professor McGonagall, visibly calming herself. "It is a nightmare of mine, to wake up in an unknown padded room wearing a strait jacket. I would hate to have such a fate inflicted on someone else. Your idea, however, with the separate room and the calming colours seems most appropriate. Are you considering soundproofing the room, also? And what about furniture, I suppose you are looking for safe objects, should the poor girl wish to end her life..."  
  
"That's about the all of it," replied Madam Marmalade, over her shock at the Professor's unexpected admission. "Do you think that you'll be able to help us?"  
  
"With the aide of some industrious students, I know I can," responded Professor McGonagall, smiling warmly.  
  
"Oh, Thankyou!" cried Madam Pomfrey, grateful beyond belief. Perhaps her idea would work after all!  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"This is really cruel," Sky Winkkin complained to Sirius Black as he grabbed a quill and started writing on a small piece of parchment. "I thought he was your friend!" Sky continued. Sirius ignored her, putting down his quill and taking out his wand to perform the charm. "I hope you won't ever do this to me." Turning over the parchment and pointing his wand at it, Sirius muttered the necessary spell. "Why do you have to be so ruse to your friend?" Sirius whispered Wingardium Leviosa and watched, pleased, as the parchment flew over and stuck itself onto James Potter's back.  
  
Satisfied, Sirius turned his gaze to Sky. "What were you saying? I'm sorry, but I was a bit distracted." Sirius tried to act pompous, but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face as thoughts of the annoyance he would cause drifted through his mind.  
  
"Oh, you are impossible!" cried Sky, most displeased by Sirius' attitude. "You are being horrible to James! I don't know how I put up with you..."  
  
Sirius gave a loud, fake sigh. "I thought we had already figured that one out. You love Remus; Remus likes me; so you have to like me! It all makes perfect sense."  
  
"In your mind, maybe..." Sky muttered grumpily. Sirius wondered at her manner, for it resembled Remus Lupin's near to perfection. He stopped considering her behaviour, however, as his mind savoured the taste of maple syrup covered pancakes.  
  
"Mmmm"  
  
"And what am I doing here, anyway?" Sky asked, though whether she spoke to herself or Sirius - he didn't know. "I really should be sitting with the other Ravenclaws..." Sirius decided she was talking to herself and promptly stuffed his face, dribbling syrup down his chin.  
  
Sky broke from her musings and rolled her eyes and humorous frustration at Sirius.  
  
"You are such a baby," she said, pointing at the mess he'd made of his face. "I don't know what those girls see in you..."  
  
"I do!" replied Loretta Myers, who had stepped up behind them without either noticing. Sirius quickly wiped his face on the corner of his sleeve, trying to do so without the girl noticing. Sky rolled her eyes again, trying to hide her laughter.  
  
"Our Siri darling is just too gorgeous to resist!" Lora ran her hand over his shoulder, and only Sky saw Sirius wince in painful embarrassment. "Honestly... umm... ("Sky?" Sirius supplied) Sky! How can you not agree with me?" Sky didn't answer - if she opened her mouth the only intelligible concept that would spew forth could be laughter. To hide her amused eyes, Sky began to eat her breakfast, then thought the better of it - were she to laugh, she would spit food everywhere!  
  
Having awaited an answer and received nothing, Loretta turned her attention back to Sirius. Twisting a lock of brown hair around her finger, whilst gazing at him with hazel eyes, she informed him:  
  
"Sandra wants to speak with you." Sirius' gaze became unreadable, and Sky began to wonder if he was having second thoughts - the night previously he had been quite keen on the Sandra girl. Sky had even threatened to spread it around the school, not that it would have been anything new - since James' outburst the previous morning, everyone had heard some sort of rumour about the status of Sirius and Sandra's love life.  
  
"What time?" asked Sirius, Sky thought she detected a slight squeak in his voice, and wondered if he was nervous. This was a new concept! Sirius, nervous! Sky had been certain that she were the only one to have ever felt insecure.  
  
"Hmm... Well, we thought you might want to walk with us to Divination... After all, it's such a long walk, and Trelawney'll won't care if we're late." Sky seriously doubted this, but Sirius was already nodding. "Great!" Loretta smiled, "We'll meet you at the portrait of that crazy knight - Sir Dynadine, or whatever his name is."  
  
Sirius could only nod at her retreating back, while Sky had only the good grace to keep from laughing until she was out of earshot. When she had reached her own seat, Sky couldn't keep it bottled up any longer. After a loud spurt of laughter, she subsided into silent giggles, tears running down her cheeks from humour. Sirius broke his dreamy gaze away from the figure of Sandra and turned to Sky, trying to shake off his embarrassment by joking around, even though Sky was pointing at his blush and laughing all the harder.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
James carefully looked through the tapestry before stepping around it and into the hall. He wasn't so fussed about hiding the pathway as he was about hiding himself. Despite their enjoyable conversation that morning, James still wasn't too comfortable around people. Perhaps he was turning into a hermit, he didn't know, yet suddenly seclusion and the peace he found within it seemed to be the most important things in his life.  
  
Distracted by his thoughts, James didn't notice the group of girls giggling and laughing at him from the side of the corridor. Or the third-year boys who burst into laughter as he walked by. In fact, it wasn't until somebody actually kicked him that he realised anything was happening at all. Scowling at the boy (a second year, James noticed) he turned round and asked, with daggers in his eyes:  
  
"What was that for?" The boy appeared to be in hysterics with laughter, and James tried to understand the tears pouring down his cheeks. Giving up on waiting for a sensible answer, James said "Well?" He was beginning to get quite frustrated with all of this, as there was now quite a crowd of second and third years surrounding him. Thankfully at that moment, someone had the decency to come up to his back and tear of the note causing the entire ruckus and silently handed it to him. It was then that he saw who it was. Professor McGonagall.  
  
Obviously she was taking a combined class or something, James hadn't even realised that he was standing outside of her classroom until she walked up on him.  
  
"Students! Calm down this instant! I would have expected the third years to set a better example!" James winced at her tone, exceedingly glad to not be, for once, at the receiving end. "Now, all of you, into the classroom. I'll have no more of your poor manner today." Obediently, the class filed into the classroom, silent except for a few smothered giggles aimed at James as they walked past.  
  
James was about to walk off when Professor McGonagall tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"James, I am wanting to have a meeting with you. Come to my office after lunch. Okay? I'll excuse you from whatever class you might have."  
  
"Divination," James managed to quickly blurt out.  
  
"Oh, well, no loss there. I'll see you after lunch. Oh, and could you please tell Sirius Black, Remus - er, no, maybe not Remus," she said as she recalled the current lunar positions, "... and perhaps also Sky Winkkin, too, if you can find her. Thankyou."   
  
Turning on him, the professor stepped into her classroom, immediately calling the class to silence and taking ten points from Gryffindor. James winced, and then began to walk away, scrunching up the note which read, in Sirius' distinctive scrawl, "KICK ME!" as he turned.  
  
It was only as he was part way down the corridor, once again lost in his thoughts and not noticing where he stepped, that he realised. He wasn't in trouble, yet he was going to a meeting with Professor McGonagall. He had absolutely no idea what it could possibly be about.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Potions was usually quite interesting, especially with Peter having a fair flair for it. Today, however, almost everybody in the class was having problems. They had just started the topic of alchemy, which, according to Professor Evelyn, they only covered briefly. To the students, however, it was sheer hell. Involving complex mathematical formulae, only those who were either gifted at maths or had been brought up in a muggle family had any idea at all. At that, even those who could were having numerous problems, trying to figure out just what ingredients to put in when, and the knowledge of how much honeysuckle oil was needed for one vat of perfumed ...   
  
"Perfume," said Sirius, disgust written plainly on his face as he considered just what he was making. All this effort... just for perfume. I cannot believe it. Behind her desk, Professor Evelyn continued on with her introduction to the ancient art of alchemy. She paused from her long speech, however, when the door was timidly opened.  
  
James Potter steeped through, not really looking where he stepped, yet obviously trying to avoid the Professor's eye contact. Which she kept with a grouchy fierceness.  
  
"And just where have you been, Mr Potter?" the Professor asked, sounding menacing, to say the least.  
  
"I bumped into Professor McGonagall - she needed to speak with me," James replied. He finally met her eyes, though without any of his usual sparkle of mischief.  
  
"Professor McGonagall is currently conducting a class. I don't believe you."  
  
"But, Professor!" called James, quite upset that he was telling the truth, yet not being believed. "I met her outside if the classroom."  
  
Professor Evelyn looked decidedly stubborn, rather irritated that a tardy student had cut her speech short. James noticed her demeanour, and instantly gave up fighting her.  
  
"Fine then, don't believe me. But if you decide to remove any points from Gryffindor, I ask that you please do so after speaking with Professor McGonagall in reference to my current lateness. Now, if you please," continued James with an air of snobby superiority as he dismissed her, "I would be most obliged if you would leave me so that I may begin this lesson on the fascinating subject of alchemy. For sure, I have already missed out on enough!" With that, James actually turned his back on her and walked over to Sirius, Peter and Sky who were crowded around a boiling cauldron, discreetly warming their hands.  
  
Professor Evelyn gaped like a fish for a second before straightening her posture and turning back to the entire class, continuing on with her speech from where she had left off.  
  
"I can't believe you!" whispered Sirius, in awe. "Snubbing off a teacher... I didn't know you had it in you." For a moment, James was back to his usual self, laughing with them all over a joke well played. James was even able to laugh at Sirius' procrastination when he was informed that he was to meet Professor McGonagall at the end of lunch.  
  
On hearing this, Sky burst into laughter. Sirius' cheeks began to tinge red, though somehow he got control of his emotions and managed to join in the laughter. Sky explained to James about Sirius' dilemma - whether he avoid a meeting organised by McGonagall or stand up his "to be" (as Sky insisted on calling Sandra) and risk losing her. Eventually it was decided that Sirius would go to the meeting instead, particularly as standing up a teacher was likely to have worse repercussions than standing up his "to be".  
  
However, James soon lost the happy demeanour. For some reason he just couldn't seem to keep it up - nothing seemed so funny any more. Always at the back of his mind there was this dreadful feeling of loss, or a fear of loss. It was quite horrible for him, and he pined to be able to smile again, but nothing seemed worthy of joy. Shrugging off the questioning looks and even Sirius' outright "What's wrong?!" James shoved all his implements into the pewter cauldron and stepped over to another hearth. Alone.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"What is wrong with him?" asked Sky, looking at Peter and Sirius with worry in her eyes.  
  
"I thought he was just resentful towards me... But now it's becoming much, much more. I can't really say that I understand it." Sirius said all this as he stared at James' retreating back. Sky was surprised at his seriousness - this was the boy who tried to eat a painting! His shoulders slumped in a sigh, and he turned back to her, though Sky hoped that he wasn't giving up on cheering his friend. Obviously James needed something, and he needed it soon.  
  
Sirius' eyes lit into a smile at the site of Sky's frowning face. "Don't worry, Sky-Baby," he ignored Sky's glare at his use of her unwanted nick-name, "I've got Jamsie all figured out... He'll be better really soon." Sky could only look at that mischievous gleam in his eye and wonder just what Sirius was planning.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
From behind a scroll she was holding before her eyes, Cassandra Reade watched the meeting being played before her with extreme tension. "Please say yes, Please say yes" she thought to herself, desperate for her dreams to come true. Frantic, she played with her unnatural blonde hair, fingering it into small plaits. But that made the scroll fall down, and she really didn't want anybody noticing her rapt attention of the Gryffindor table. Picking up the scroll, she once again placed it before her eyes, though it was in the wrong position - now she couldn't see anything! Shoving it a bit to the side, she decided that that would have to do. At least she could now see the group, even if it was partially covered up by some doctrine about Geoffrey the Giant. What she could see, however, made her cringe. There was Lora, her best-friend LORA, flirting with him. Oh, what was she to do...  
  
Startled, she noticed that Loretta Myers was quickly walking back to her, so at once Sandra's eyes returned to the scroll before her, though she felt Sirius' eyes boring into her and wished she could look up into them.  
  
The anticipation too much, Sandra looked up. Catching Sirius' eye, she gave one of her brilliant smiles, then turned her gaze over to Lora, even though she felt a wrench in her gut from leaving those to, amazing, black eyes...  
  
There was a massive beaming smile on Loretta's small face, and soon Sandra wore one to match.  
  
"Yes?" asked Sandra.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
The small squeals of excitement they emitted simultaneously covered up the loud burst of laughter that came from the opposite table. By the time Sandra and Lora had calmed down enough to discuss what she should wear (even though it's have to be school uniform) and how her hair should sit, and what make up she'd need, and whose she could borrow... By that time Sky Winkkin was quiet enough, and Sirius Black un-blushing enough for them to not notice anything out of the ordinary as they walked from the room. However, just before exiting the eating hall, Sandra, without any obvious embarrassment, blew Sirius a kiss.  
  
Sky nearly died for laughter.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Please, Peter. You aren't required at the meeting, and you're the only other person I'd trust enough to give this message to Cassandra." Sirius pleaded with an unwilling Peter, Sirius' plight in no way aided by the continual and distracting laughter of Sky Winkkin. Finally giving up on the impossible task of ignoring her, Sirius snapped. "Sky, either stop laughing this instant or go somewhere else!" Surprised at his sudden shout, Sky swallowed back her laughter, giving out a giant hiccough instead. Soon everybody was laughing at Sky, who couldn't laugh for all the crazy hiccoughs she was shouting.  
  
Everyone was at the lunch tables, eating away noisily. It seemed that Sky shared every meal with the Gryffindors now - and spent most of her time in their common room. No one commented on why this was so, they didn't want to embarrass her. The fact was, however, that Sky really didn't have any other friends in her house - and she really wasn't that great at making new ones. The Gryffinddors didn't really mind, though. Sky was great fun, and she could always make you laugh.  
  
Trying to hiccough and laugh at the same time was near impossible, Sky decided. Especially when those hiccoughs were of the giant variety. To herself, Sky wondered if she'd been hit by some jinx, then decided it unlikely. More likely was the fact that her laughter, once it started coming out, really couldn't be stopped without the dire consequences that she was always threatening. Her hiccoughs even had James laughing, even if his was rather brittle.  
  
"Drink water!"; "Eat something!"; Hold you nose!"; "Cough!"; "Do a handstand"; "Jump up and down"; "Do the Hula!"; "Do star jumps,"; "Swallow!"; "Take a tablet"; "Take your clothes off!" Numerous shouts echoed round the hall, though most stopped at Sirius' impertinent call, perhaps because it had given her such a rude shock that the hiccoughs actually stopped.  
  
"Take your clothes off?" asked Sky, looking at Sirius in disbelief.  
  
"No thankyou!" replied Sirius, a cheerful gleam in his eye.  
  
"Ugh! I wasn't telling you to take your clothes off, you idiot!" said Sky, taking a playful swipe at his head. "I was asking why you asked me to take MINE off! Silly dolt - I've never heard of such an unlikely cure!"  
  
"But it worked, didn't it?" Sirius asked, laughing at her. Because, suddenly, Sky had realised that, yes, indeed, Sirius' cure had worked!  
  
"I don't believe it..."  
  
"Now, back to the matter at hand." Immediately Sky started laughing again, but before she could do something equally crazy and strange, Peter gave in: nodding his head and taking the parchment from Sirius' hand. "And don't read it! Sirius called, and turned, amazed, when Sky succeeded in laughing even louder than she previously had. Giving in to the urge, Sirius began laughing, too. Though why, he didn't know.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
A/N   
  
I have to end this chapter here... Damn it, I really wanted this to be the last proper chapter before the epilogue, but now I've realised that I'll have to do another... Grr! I was even considering doing this as an extra long chapter, though that seems quite unnecessary when I can stop here so easily. I have spent four hours on this chapter, so you'd better like it! Not that anyone is likely to read it... Oh well. I suppose I really should redo LR, (I certainly think it needs it! I haven't written in such a poor style since primary!!!!) However, I really just can't be bothered rewriting something that is, I suppose, serviceable. Hmm...  
  
I had big problems with this chapter, what with trying to figure out just when different things were to happen, and in what order. Can you believe it? I was actually going to begin it with the James scene, and him going to a meeting with Severus Snape... From there, I was going to talk about Severus and how he's feeling in the world... I was going to end the chapter (which I nearly just called Snape - I don't know how I did that!) in the muggle world, with Petal (I am SO going to change her name...) hearing about what the school is doing to cure her lovely little Lily.  
  
Grr...  
  
Well, now you know what's happening in the next chapter! I think it's all quite obvious and predictable. Oh, and just in case you want to know, the epilogue will be called "Awakening" or something like that, anyway... No need to guess what that'll be about!  
  
Enough is enough. I've got one exam to go, and I'm actually considering writing the next chapter this evening... Though I also wanted to do my homework then, too... I don't know really.  
  
Oh, I have to include a disclaimer, this time... The alchemy section within this chapter, that may also be included in chapters to come, is inspired by Lyndon Hardy's 'Master of the Five Magics' (a great book, that) and relates directly to it, with the principles and theories being those discussed within the novel.  
  
There we go, is that it? Oh, I thank all the people who have been kind enough to review - and to those who haven't I ask that you please review, as your input is most appreciated. I think I'll keep writing this, though, whether I get a million more or zero reviews... I can't really stop myself!  
  
Once again, thankyou to all and to Sierra Charm for posting another chapter to her story "Eyes as green as a fresh-pickled toad." If you haven't read her yet, do it! Her, Admiral Albia and Tropical Fishy are some of the best HP fanfic authors on the net!  
  
-wildcat- 


	10. A Bad Day For All

Prelude to a Love Story  
Chapter Nine: Bad Days for All! :)  
  
"I don't like the way that portrait's staring at me," complained Sirius Black in regards to the tall painting that sat above the fireplace. The fire itself burned brightly, and James Potter allowed his gaze to rest there, but Sirius felt like complaining. "Look at it. James! Wake up and look at the freaky painting thing. Why doesn't it move? Why is it just staring at me?" Sky Winkkin couldn't believe Sirius was getting all riled up over a picture. He was so stupid sometimes.  
  
"Sirius, you are so stupid sometimes," said Sky, voicing her thoughts. She had already had a good long look at the painting, and decided that it had either been done by a muggle or prior to the invention of magical paint. "Here we are, in McGonagall's office, and all you can think of doing is stare at some painting. Honestly!" Sky looked away from the painting, allowing her eyes to rove once more, until they reached the door. "Oops..." she whispered.  
  
At the sound of that familiar statement, the boys both turned their heads very slowly. Standing at the door was Professor McGonagall, looking most displeased. Standing quite tall with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, as it always was, she looked very stiff and grumpy: pursed lips making obvious her dissatisfaction.  
  
"I must say, Miss Winkkin, that I much prefer him to 'stare at some painting' rather than anything more destructive. Mr Black, be warned, I know what you are capable of." Sirius couldn't help but give a sheepish grin at this: he was rather pleased with his aptitude for naughtiness. The professor only glared the more for his expression. "It is because of your general misbehaviour - and your obvious talent in my field of expertise - that I have called you all to my office," she turned from Sirius then, addressing James and Sky, also.   
  
"I suspect you all know of the fate that has befallen a ravenclaw fifth year, Lily Evans?" the professor asked. Sky and Sirius nodded in reply; James didn't look up from the floor. "Well, it may not be that you know she is still on the Hogwarts Grounds," James looked up at this, a startled glimmer in his eye. Much as he didn't like to admit it, a small fear had been growing within him towards the Sleeping She-Devil. "Yes," continued Professor McGonagall, "We have been keeping her under a sleep-spell in the Hospital Wing. Now, however, she begins to waken and is trying to fight the slumber. It has been decided that Lily Evans will be woken again, and, after serious observation, hopefully returned back to classes." James was visibly rocked, and his staring eyes did nothing to hide his fear.  
  
"I realise that this may upset you," Minerva said, looking at James, "Yet it must be done, and I need your full cooperation.  
  
"It has come to my attention that you two," Professor McGonagall now included Sirius in her gaze, "Are to be having detentions each evening for the next two weeks." Sirius and James didn't look in anyway glum, for they spent most evenings in detention and had become somewhat immune to the dirty and onerous tasks they were forced to perform. "Yes, well, you will now be spending those detentions working with me," at this, all three looked up in surprise, wondering what she meant by the word 'working'. Professor McGonagall was obviously waiting for their response. She stood there, still by the door - she hadn't moved - staring at them like a cat to unsuspecting prey.  
  
Sky nearly laughed when she thought of that, seeing as Professor McGonagall really was a cat, at least in animagi form, and in some ways, they too were her prey. Fortunately, she was able to cover up her laughter by covering her mouth and giving a small cough, which was drowned out anyway as Sirius asked the professor a question, suspicion in his eyes.  
  
"Just what is it that you want us to do?"  
  
Professor McGonagall smiled. "You're going to help me build something boys, and I expect you'll be capable, too, Miss Winkkin. If you don't mind spending your evenings with this bunch?"  
  
"Excuse me, Professor?" asked Sky, sounding quite plaintive, "But do you think Remus Lupin will be able to help, also?"  
  
Once again Sirius drowned out Sky, though this time it was with his own burst of laughter, which he didn't bother trying to cover up with a discreet cough. The look of surprise on Professor McGonagall's face only inspired him to further laughter, and even earned a chuckle from James. The bright, red blush that stained Sky's cheeks, however, cooled them quickly, allowing Professor McGonagall to answer.  
  
"Yes, I'm certain Remus can help - I believe he was in detention, anyway." With that, the professor allowed herself a small chuckle, and watched the children at play before her. Her eyes rested on James, however, who really didn't seem himself. He was... depressed. She smiled as the other two tried to include him in their banter, perhaps all would be well. There was already one student in the school with a serious emotional problem, and Minerva really thought that was quite enough without James joining in the fray.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"So, tell me again. What exactly am I doing here?" asked Remus, fed up with spending his fifth night in a row doing nothing but transfiguration. Or more like at attempting transfiguration. He had thought himself quite good at the subject until he had been dragged along to this detention. At least he got some sort of satisfaction from cleaning trophies.  
  
"Why, Remus, my good chap, I believe that you are tying to turn that block of wood into a bed," replied Sirius, managing to give in answer anything but what Remus wanted to hear.  
  
"I can see that, you fool! And trying is certainly right, for I'm definitely not succeeding."  
  
Seeing her ... friend's distress, Sky stepped in, running a hand down his back in a comforting gesture. Remus visibly lost tension, and James, who was watching them from over in a far corner of the room, wondered how they managed to click so well.  
  
"Calm down, Remus," Sky soothed him, "You're trying too hard, that's all. Forget about the bed for a minute-."  
  
"Why? That's all you two seem to need!" shouted Sirius across the room. Professor McGonagall had left the room for a few moments to grab some more blocks of wood - had she been in there, Sirius wouldn't have been near so daring. But his goal was achieved, as Sky and Remus both jumped about five metres away from one another, their faces a brilliant crimson.  
  
The sound of a massive crack on the other side of the room tore Remus and Sky from their embarrassment, and drew Sirius' gaze from his entertainment. Obviously James had gotten sick of trying to make a chest of draws from a single piece of unhelpful wood. Especially when you considered the fact that the small block of wood was stuck partway in the glorious white wall.  
  
"Oh, James! How could you?" Sirius cried in a silly high voice, running to the wall and beginning to hug it. As he muttered something about the "poor, unfortunate wall," James grabbed another block and promptly turned it into an elephant.  
  
Pressed against the walls in the hope of keeping out of a rather surprised elephant's way, four students watched in horror as their supervisor wandered in.  
  
The room a shambles of blocks of wood and dints in the previously perfectly white walls, Minerva promptly dropped the wood she was carrying and stared in horror at what stood before her.  
  
The elephant stared back.  
  
The staring contest went on for another five minutes before Sirius' pleas of "Professor, Professor?" finally drew Minerva's gaze away. Allowing the fact that there was an elephant in the room to register in her mind. The glare she turned on the students made them all wince, and Sirius immediately stopped his piteous creel.  
  
"Can I trust you students to do ANYTHING without turning it into an absurd joke?" professor McGonagall questioned furiously. Had James, Sky, Remus and Sirius not already been shoved up against the wall, then they would have taken a further step backwards. "I gave you an extreme amount of freedom within these detentions, thinking that if you already had freedom then you'd be less keen to strive for it through rule breaking!" Her voice lost her furious edge however as she gave a loud and despairing sigh. Rather than glaring at the students, she actually looked at them as she asked: "Okay, who transfigured the elephant?"  
  
Sky looked over at James, who was looking at the wall. Sirius was looking at his professor with that manic gleam of mischief in his eye, as though refusing to tell a secret. Remus was trying to watch Sky, without being too obvious about it. Her skin, usually pale, had a slight flush from being yelled at. Her pale blonde hair was tied up in a bun, perhaps to keep it away from her eyes. Remus liked it that way, though, because he thought that she had the most beautiful eyes. A light, crystal blue that reminded him of frothing water... Remus hadn't even heard Professor McGonagall's question.  
  
The lack of answers prompted a look of incredulous disbelief to cross Minerva's face. It seemed that everyone had forgotten the elephant, who stood there falling asleep.  
  
"What, the elephant just appeared of its own volition, did it? I can see it now," McGonagall continued, a look of extreme sarcasm on her face, "On moment you're all standing there, beinmg the perfect angels that I know you AREN'T! And then the next - an elephant is standing there. You had absolutely nothing to do with it, did you." Sirius was smiling at her story, as though wanting to make a comment. When she had finished, he did.  
  
"Yep," answered Sirius, leaning against the wall in a relaxed position of slouchiness, "That's about the way of it. Of course, you may have left out a few extra details in there - such as the frustration of nothing and James doing some karate moves involving a block of wood..." All of their eyes drifted over to the block that stuck partway through the wall, with James being the exception - he preferred to remain concentrating on the very interesting floor. It was white.  
  
Professor McGonagall was flustered. There was mess everywhere; all her blocks had fallen to the floor; there was a block partway through the wall; and an elephant standing before her, asleep.  
  
"Alright," stated Professor McGonagall, cooling down somewhat. "Sirius, turn this elephant into a bed - and I'll have no grey, baggy skin for blankets! - while Remus can try and help me retrieve my wooden blocks. I expect you know the repairo spell, Sky?" Sky nodded, numbly, "Good, because when that elephant's what it needs to be, I want you to fix the wall." Giving James an evil glare, she continued, "James will help." As she concluded, her voice grew fiercer and stronger, as though she were speaking to a bunch of very slow, thick two year-olds. "Now, after that I want you to all leave the room quietly and without doing ANYTHING but putting one foot in front of the other. Is that simple enough?"  
  
Four heads nodded simultaneously. It seemed that with the Professor there, they could do no wrong, for within seconds a bed (without grey, baggy skin for blankets) was in the corner; all the wooden blocks had been gathered; and the wall looked good as new. Sirius was sorely tempted to do something as he walked from the room, but, aside from running into a wall, there was very little he could do that didn't disobey the professor's very clear instructions. As Sirius wasn't interested in hurting himself, and none of the other children were near as creative, the group exited the room without any further mishaps.  
  
Shutting the door behind them, Minerva sighed heavily. It seemed that this was finally the end of what had been a very long day, and perhaps an even longer evening. Walking over to the bed, she sunk down onto it - and was reasonably surprised to discover just how comfortable it was.  
  
... Perhaps too comfortable. For soon Minerva was lying back in the pillows, her eyes shut in slumber.  
  
Snuggling into the blankets, with a warm fire shifting her still deeper into sleep, she didn't notice as the long, grey trunk curled up beside her. The white, skin-tight, elephant opened one eye and...  
  
Winked.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Sky looked at Sirius' face and instantly took three steps backwards. He had that secretive smile and mischievous eye expression on his face again. She immediately suspected something, and began feeling herself all over frantically, searching for the extra limb that she just knew had to be growing out of her somewhere. Finding nothing amiss, she immediately began searching her friends, the corridor...   
  
"Are you alright, Sky?" asked Remus, frowning, as he watched Sky first run her hands all over herself, and then turn to all the walls and stare at them intensely.  
  
"Hmm-mm..." replied Sky, mumbling some sort of answer while her gaze, and obviously attention, was still locked on the wall.  
  
"It's yellow," stated Remus, puzzled.  
  
"Huh?" Sky turned at this, trying to figure out just what Remus was talking about.  
  
"Yellow," continued Remus, looking stupid. "The wall, it's yellow." He emphasised all this by pointing. Sirius cracked up laughing, making Sky turn to him grumpily.  
  
"What is it?" she asked, finally asking outright. Remus didn't understand, again, and kept up his confused look of puzzlement.  
  
Sirius was delighted, and laughed even harder as Sky continued to pester him.   
  
"Do you really want to know?" asked Sirius, his grin so broad that it was a wonder he could even speak.  
  
Sky nodded, yes.  
  
"You really, really want to know?"  
  
Sky nodded again, though she began to get quite frustrated - she knew where this was headed.  
  
"You mean, you really, really, REALLY want to know?"  
  
Sky nearly screamed in irritation. Remus felt left out. James wasn't saying anything.  
  
"Really, really?"  
  
"YES!" screamed Sky, "Really, really, really, REALLY!!"  
  
But Sky's scream was drowned out by another.  
  
"SIRIUS BLACK! COME HEAR RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"  
  
"Sorry, mates, gotta scamp!"  
  
Sirius ran down the hall, turning soon after.  
  
Remus just continued looking surprised, left out and generally confused. "I wonder what that was all about," he questioned.  
  
Sky looked at him, eye-brows raised.  
  
"Do you really, really want to know?"  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Professor Minerva McGonagall looked up from where she lay, entwined in a living, breathing elephant. Her shock was soon replaced with a loud, demanding scream:  
  
"SIRIUS BLACK! COME HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"  
  
Irritated, the professor chastised herself severely for letting that - that mongrel of a - child transfigure the bed. She should have expected him to do something like this. Creative as it was... and she really did need to give him full marks on the job, there weren't many fifth years - let alone seventh years! - Who could transfigure an elephant into a new creation so well. She wondered whether there was some sort of charm-work involved, though she knew from Professor Flitwick that Sirius wasn't the best charms student... or even anywhere near the top...  
  
Suddenly it sunk into Minerva that she had been lying on the bed wrapped up in elephant for close to twenty minutes. If Sirius hadn't come yet, then it was unlikely that he would. Mentally cursing the student for his damn urges and the way he creatively fulfilled them, Minerva set about trying to persuade the elephant that she wanted to be let go.  
  
After half an hour, Minerva was thoroughly exhausted, and she had come to the conclusion that obviously struggling, wriggling, cursing, screaming, yelling and nearly crying weren't going to free her from this thing. Much to her disgust, the pocket in which she kept her wand was currently being lain on, and in her position was inaccessible. Gentle cajoling she had attempted, though she wasn't really the type to put up with her own voice making those sounds for very long. In fact, she couldn't really stand any cooing noises at all. She liked things obvious and sure - straight to the point. Divination had always rubbed her the wring way, as it was almost entirely focussed on those things that weren't sure, that twisted around the point and doubled back, until the point itself was none at all...  
  
Footsteps, echoing off the walls and swirling around her like a promise, worked, as someone's restless hands would have, shaking her from reverie.  
  
"Wait!" she shouted, trying to keep her tone authoritative and let no despair trickle in. "Wait for me!"  
  
--- --- ---   
  
Severus Snape stepped quickly along the hall, trying to wipe as much of the muck out of his hair as he could before he reached the Slytherin common room. He had been returning from the library when they struck, those damn Marauders. Now he was covered in green goo, greasing up his previously perfect hair. Severus took great pride in his hair, and adored its shininess. An icky bright green, however, really hadn't been his idea of improving it. He could already hear the taunts and laughter he would receive for being attacked, once again...  
  
"Wait!" came a faint cry. Severus turned to the noise, wondering what it could be. Again it came, closer this time: "Wait for me!"  
  
Stepping closer to the rusty old armour, Severus forgot about his hair for a moment as he put his ear closer, hoping to catch a sound...  
  
... And fell right through.  
  
Obviously the statue of armour was just an illusion, perhaps meant to hide something. And as Severus shook his head from the daze, he realised just what that was.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
"Severus?" asked Professor McGonagall. She sounded partly surprised, partly irritated. She wondered if he could even get her out of this mess. Minerva didn't notice his hair.  
  
"Professor McGonagall!" exclaimed Severus, looking exceedingly surprised. "Whatever has happened?" For some reason, Severus was blind to the white, skin-tight elephant wriggling an ear at him languorously. In truth, Severus wasn't even really concentrating on his professor - the room seemed much more interesting, if perhaps a little too clean for his liking.  
  
"Sirius," responded Minerva dourly, as though dark things were to come. The mention of that hated name drew back Severus' attention, and he stared in wonder at the teacher, trying to figure out just what was wrong. He was partly embarrassed to be standing in the same room as his professor while she was apparently in bed.  
  
For fear of embarrassing her, Severus tried not to look directly at her as he asked:   
  
"Sirius? Whatever has he done this time?" Self-consciously, Severus ran a hand through his hair, covering his fingers and palm in the gacky green substance. He, too, had been attacked, though it had been Remus and James, for once not Sirius.  
  
Noticing the student's gaze wandering from her, Professor McGonagall tried to regain it once more by wriggling at her tight bonds. Stupid students and the bright white of this room were really starting to get on her nerves.  
  
"He's tied me to the bed with an elephant," replied Minerva, somewhat calmly, though Severus had a difficult time looking so at ease.  
  
"An- an e-eleph-ph-phant?" he questioned tremulously, his voice stuttering over words. Frustrated, the Professor snapped at him:  
  
"Yes! Of course an elephant. Must I repeat everything I..."  
  
Minerva McGonagall dropped off suddenly. Not that her audience would have noticed. Severus Snape had gone running out of the room screaming at her clarification on the word 'elephant'.  
  
"Oh, honestly!" Minerva sighed to herself. Trust him to be afraid of elephants.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
It was a much dishevelled and grimly determined professor who exited the room somewhat later that evening - or early that morning, however you want to look at it. She had been stuck in there for ages before she was able to trick the bed thing into thinking she had some peanuts near by. Stupid thing. The professor was thoroughly annoyed, wanting to kick at everything. Minerva would have taken five hundred points off in a flash had she but been tempted with the slightest mistake. As it was, she was more than willing to drag that Sirius Black out of bed and give him the longest, most horrible, grotty, difficult detention she could think of. Yet no way would that calm her rage.  
  
She had passed tiredness long ago. She was wide awake now, her rage burning within her - a flame of pure unsatisfied frustration. Yes, someone would pay for this. Dearly.  
  
Too busy concentrating on her anger, Minerva didn't notice the step as she put her foot onto it. And sunk right through.  
  
The cry of pure fury and frustration that rent the air was more fearsome than anything previously heard in Hogwarts.  
  
Professor McGonagall sat there fuming. She was not having a good day.  
  
A/N - Gosh, nobody's happy... Oh well, on with the story!  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
tap tap tap  
  
Petal Evans looked up at the window, wondering what that sound could be. Seeing the array of white and brown feathers, she presumed it an owl and went over to unlatch the shutters. Stepping back quickly as the bird hurtled towards her, she sighed, wondering if she could ever possibly grow used to the idea of receiving mail by owl.  
  
Obviously in no hurry, the owl stood awkwardly on the bench, pecking down at the scraps of meat Petal had been slicing. The letter was left on the floor, where the owl had carelessly left it on its dash for the food. Clearly addressed to her and her husband, Gregory Evans, Petal went to retrieve her knife off the bench for aid in unsealing the thick envelope.  
  
For the first time, she noticed that the owl was still in her house, and snacking on the dinner she had been preparing, at that! Waving her hand at the creature, she muttered the usual "Shoo!" and stepped back in outraged shock as the bird actually leaped towards her, as though in attack!  
  
Stepping away quickly, Petal decided suddenly that she didn't really need the meat, she supposed, and that rather than to salvage what was left (which was becoming less and less by the second) she would just calmly leave the room.  
  
Turning, Petal ran from the feral creature, and after stepping through the door, slammed it shut behind her.  
  
Looking down to the letter grasped by white knuckles, Petal soon forgot about owls and knives as she hurriedly ripped the outer parchment to shreds, burning off some of her nervous energy in the process. She hadn't really considered just what the letter might contain until then, but the Hogwarts crest upon the seal had suddenly reminded her.  
  
Petal's pulse increased rapidly, and she fumbled with the letter in her shaking fingers before finally unfolding it. Quickly scanning it with eyes already blurred, she froze when she saw the name "Lily". For an instant her heart actually stopped beating. And then began again, pumping exceptionally fast this time.  
  
Scanning through the letter again, heavy parchment softened by sweaty fingertips, she finally felt herself strong enough to read it properly. Though sat in a chair first.  
  
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Evans,  
  
I am pleased to inform you that your daughter has been receiving the best medical attention possible. A suitable procedure is under way, and we expect Lily Evans to be completely healed before the summer break. More letters will be sent to you regarding her process at a later date, and you will most definitely be informed the moment we are to have any major break-throughs.  
  
We once again wish to remind you that your daughter is in the very best of care, and if at all you feel the need to visit her you are quite welcome to ask for instructions as to reaching the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
Thankyou for your patience and aide,  
  
Prof. M. McGonagall  
  
Looking up from the thick parchment she clutched so desperately, Petal Evans could think only of her youngest daughter, Lily Evans. Lily with her red hair, her quiet manner and soft voice... Petal smiled in reminiscence and at the hope filling her veins. For so long now she had worried and wept over her child's emotional breakdown, so long that it came as a massive relief to finally know for certain that Lily would recover.  
  
Suddenly recalling that someone else might possibly be interested in the letter, Petal Evans called across the room, nearly running to the study in her haste to spread the good news.  
  
"Greg! Greg? Quick!"  
  
Her voice breathy and gasping from her previous lack of air, it was a wonder that Gegory Evans heard her through the thick door. Yet hear her he did, and came running nearly as fast on hearing the excitement in her voice.  
  
"What? What is it, honey?" Gregory opened the door with a low bang, pushing it outwards into the hall. "Honey? Where are you?"  
  
On exiting the study, Greg couldn't see Petal anywhere, it seemed as though she had been screaming outside his door one instant and then, poof, gone the next. Looking up the hall either way, Gregory stepped away from his door, closing it gently behind, to award himself a better view. A soft moan led his gaze downwards.  
  
"Hon?"  
  
Petal looked up at him, holding a piece of paper to her nose, which bled profusely.  
  
"Oh, honey. I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!" Greg lowered himself to her position of sitting on the floor. "Are you alright, I'm terribly sorry..."  
  
Petal just looked up at her husband, trying to ignore the feeling of movement in her nose. She knew he hadn't meant it, but thought his apologies awfully sweet and sat listening to them for long moments, until the letter once again reclaimed importance in her mind. Realising she held the important piece of parchment to her bloody nose, Petal quickly pulled it away, not noticing, or caring about, the blood that continued to dribble down her face.  
  
"Hon, should you really do that?" asked Gregory Evans, concerned. "I think you may still be bleeding a little."  
  
Irritated now, Petal distractedly pushed away his fussing hands as she began exclaiming over the letter.  
  
"Get off me, you silly fool... It's the letter. The letter!"  
  
Realising that he really wasn't understanding her excited garble, Petal tried to slow her voice down and speak seriously.  
  
"The letter. It arrived today. About Lily!" Gregory caught on pretty quick, almost ripping the blood stained letter from her grasp in his sudden desire to read it. Managing to decipher through the mess of sweat and red, Greg soon became as ecstatic as his wife.  
  
Sitting together on the floor, Greg and Petal ignored the gory mess of blood as they pulled one another into a tight embrace.  
  
"Oh, honey - this is marvellous!"  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"Ugh, isn't it just awful?"  
  
Petunia twirled the phone cord around her fingers as she listened to her boyfriend's reply. She and Vernon had been together a whole two months now. She even had the ring to prove it.  
  
"There was mum and dad, lying in a puddle of blood, crying over some girl who's probably mad as an old goat."  
  
Petunia could recall the picture almost too vividly. She had stepped into the room and almost screamed. Neither had been moving at the time of her entrance, and, much as she disliked to admit it, Petunia really did care for her parents. And even her sister, though that was really deep inside.  
  
"Yes, she is my sister. But that doesn't mean I have to like her!"  
  
Petunia was quite adamant on that point, and clutched the cord even tighter.  
  
"You and your sister are just more suited, I suppose..."  
  
Although she had never met Marge Dursley, the way that Vernon was continually going on about her made Petunia feel that she must be one of the grandest women.  
  
"I know that Marge would never go insane, Vernon darling. It's all this stupid witchy business, honestly" - and now Petunia's voice became mocking - "Each holiday she comes home saying that she can do this and that, yet never shows me any of it!-  
  
"No, of course I don't really want to see it, Verny dearest,-  
  
Petunia laughed into the phone, a high, cruel snigger - Vernon thought it the most lovely sound on the earth - "Oh, I wouldn't be surprised, Vernon, I wouldn't be surprised... To think, one day she looked in the mirror and - click - she suddenly realised that it was all a lie!" Petunia seemed quite happy at the prospect. "No wonder she's not all there!"  
  
Petunia Evans continued to laugh, imagining all sorts of funny faces her stupid sanity-lacking sister would pull.  
  
*** Lia, I realise that all of that last paragraph or two was completely awful - please, please, PLEASE try to fix it. I rest all my faith in you as the best beta reader this side of the galaxy. Thankyou lots and lots ~~ Pauline (and now it's on to Sirius... and a really yucky detention) ***  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
An incessant mutter, like that of a crazed yabby, could be heard coming from the coldest room in the castle. Stone walls echoed the noise around, until the rumble of words was completely indistinguishable.  
  
Not that Sirius was really making a whole lot of sense in the first place. But then, after two hours in a freezing dungeon, being forced to clean a dirty floor with no magic - only a toothbrush - and having little else for distraction except for the sound of your own voice, you couldn't really expect him to be in a much better state.  
  
"Grib, grob, dribble and drabble. Tail's rat and rat's tail..."  
  
And so on. To more accurately rephrase that: Sirius wasn't making any sense at all.  
  
"To the dungeons! Now! Spotless floors... Your own toothbrush..." Professor McGonagall's voice echoed in his head. Rather like his echoed of the floors and walls. Minerva really hadn't been too happy when she had finally come for him that morning. Her hair was mussed and her eyes evil. McGonagall's face had been furious enough to drag him out of bed quicker than anything else may have, startling Sirius into falling out in his haste.  
  
He expected that James would tease him about Batman pyjamas for many more years...  
  
It seemed that no light at all permeated to these levels. Sirius had only had enough time to throw some robes over himself and grab a toothbrush before he was dragged by his ear down to the lowest levels.  
  
Looking at the massive expanse of cold, grey flag stones and the small patch of shiny ones, Sirius wondered if he could ever possibly clean them all. Looking at the small brush in his hand, he wondered if it would hold out, for already its bristles were sticking at odd angles and stained a dirty brown in colour.  
  
Dipping the toothbrish back into the small bucket of soapy water, Sirius couldn't help but give a small smile.  
  
And wonder just how loud James would complain.  
  
A/N  
  
There we have it, another chapter done at long last. It seems the only person currently reading this is Ariqua... Oh well.  
  
I give massive thanks to my fabulous beta-reader, Ariqua, who has really been helping me out lately. If not for her, then this chapter would still be only part way done. Big round of applause for Ari!!  
  
Sorry if this chapter is rather choppy in style - I have been working on it at different intervals, rather in the large block that I normally would. Only one chapter to go (I hope!) and that will either include be the epilogue, or the epilogue will come after. I want this to be the last proper chapter - I really really want to start Lily Love - but, unfortunately, there are still some loose ends that I really need to tie up.  
  
Not much else to say! Thankyou again, Ari, and anyone else who decides to read and review this. If you want to read an edited version of Lily's Revenge, I am currently in the process of re-posting. When I get the chance, I'll go through the entire thing. I still want to do a full, proper re-write, though that will take a long time and a lot of effort, so I'd probably be better off without.  
  
Thankyou, all.  
  
-wildcat- 


	11. Epilogue

Prelude to a Love Story  
::Epilogue::  
  
"SIRIUS BLACK! COME HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"  
  
"Prffssr Mcgnggg?"  
  
Sirius rolled back over in bed, sinking his head further into the soft pillows in the hope of regaining his sleep. Unfortunately, all hopes were lost as the blankets were wrenched from his tired grasp. When that didn't encourage him to remove himself from the bed, someone pulling him off succeeded in bringing about the same result.  
  
"Remusss?" questioned Sirius, still sleepy. "Is that you?"  
  
"Yes, it is," came Remus Lupins hurried reply. "You'd better get out, quick smart."  
  
--- --- ---  
  
James Potter - known in later years as the man who sired "Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived!" - stood, clutching close to his heart what was the remains of what had been one of his most prized possessions. Devastated, he could only sob quietly, concentrating on the fond memories that ran through his mind. Previously he had contained within him the strength to scream, to rage... Yet now, all was lost.  
  
Sinking to the floor in sad defeat, James held the remains of his toothbrush to his eyes.  
  
Most of the bristles had fallen out, though the few left showed that they had endured horrors beyond the imagination. Bent and twisted corpses, their bodies stained forever brown with the muck that lurked on dungeon stones. The handle, too, showed signs of dreadful abuse, bent out of shape and covered in the dirty fingerprints belonging to the hand that had bashed it. His toothbrush... was dead.  
  
Sirius stepped quietly through the door into the bathroom, trying not to laugh at the image of his best-friend crying over a toothbrush. James didn't look up at the tentative approach.  
  
"James?" asked Sirius, hesitant.  
  
James continued to sob, refusing to look away from the disgusting brush. Decorated in shades of blue, the bathroom appeared to have adopted his mood of melancholy. Sirius felt that it was all a bit absurd, and felt like flushing one of the toilets just to break the silence.  
  
"Snap out of it, James!" Cried Sirius. It was, after all, only a toothbrush.  
  
At this, James looked up. Sirius couldn't figure out whether it was humour or anger that clouded his friend's gaze, and didn't have much time to figure it out, either, as his James' eyes returned to the toothbrush.  
  
"I'll never love again!" James whispered fiercely, and then lay flat on the floor.  
  
Sirius looked at his friend, bemused. Ignoring what James had just said, Sirius stepped closer to the prone figure of his friend upon the floor. To all appearances, James had gone to sleep.  
  
Pulling a dog biscuit from the pocket of his robes, Sirius transfigured it into a long stick and professed to poke James with it in the ribs.  
  
Startled, Sirius jumped back suddenly, tripping over a mat and falling into the bath.  
  
James couldn't contain his mirth at the shocked expression on Sirius' face. After throwing the 'dead' toothbrush at his mate's forehead, he slowly walked over and laughed at Sirius' helpless position in the bath.  
  
"You look a tad stuck, Siri," pronounced James, refusing to answer Sirius' silent plea to reach down a hand.  
  
"What about the toothbrush?" Sirius managed to mutter out around his surprise.  
  
"Why, is it stuck, too?" asked James, frowning in mock concentration.  
  
"About as stuck as I am, I suppose," replied Sirius, warming to the topic.  
  
"Then it's very stuck indeed, I'm afraid," responded James as he started to walk towards the door.  
  
Sirius soon figured out his meaning.  
  
"Wait!" cried Sirius, a little desperate, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Why, I'm leaving," answered James. "Isn't that obvious?"  
  
"What about me?"  
  
The door was open now, and James was partway through before he turned around and concluded:  
  
"If you're still stuck after the quidditch match then I'll pull you out. As for now: I want you to spend your time trying to make it up to Brumhilda."  
  
"Brumhilda?" squeaked Sirius.  
  
"The toothbrush."  
  
With finality, James softly closed the door behind him. A few muttered words that sounded suspiciously like a locking spell were the last words Sirius heard for many hours. Once again resorting to the use of his own voice as distraction, Sirius pulled a very grotty and worn toothbrush from out beneath his robes.  
  
"It seems like it's just you and me again, Brumey..."  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
"What do you mean, dangerous?" asked Sirius, annoyed. "I told you that we put in some unicorn horn - that immediately cancels out all poisonous effects!"  
  
Remus looked a bit dubious on that account. James was still in the common room, no doubt still celebrating in Gryffindor's victory. It didn't make Sirius any happier to know that his usual position as beater had been given to a second year, which had apparently succeeded admirably. If he could pull this off, it would be one of the best pranks he had ever performed.  
  
"I just think that it would be quite easy for something to go wrong..." stated Remus, a sigh escaping his lips. It was pointless to try and debate with Sirius when his mind was made up.  
  
"What could possibly go wrong?" exclaimed Sirius, now frustrated.  
  
Remus had a harried look in his eye, as though sick of the conversation.  
  
"I don't know. Stuff." His lack of evidence only made Sirius more irritated. Seeing his friend's expression, Remus decided to change tack. "I doubt you could even get into her room to administer it, anyway."  
  
A sly look grew in Sirius' eye, and Remus wondered just what he had provoked.  
  
"Oh, you needn't worry about that! Professor McGonagall gave me all the necessary information - and I doubt she'd change any of the passwords." Sirius shined with confidence and pride; he was certain that prank was fool proof.  
  
Remus sat down on his bed, amazed and surprised that he hadn't even realised it.  
  
"You've thought of everything, haven't you?"  
  
Sirius' smile grew wider.  
  
"Everything," he agreed.  
  
"If something goes wrong-," murmured Remus, worry returning to his voice and eyes. Sirius rolled his with an exasperated grimace, saying:  
  
"I know, I know - If something goes wrong, you've warned me." His smile returned, however:  
  
"But nothing will."  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
Dinner that night was met with a welcome piece of information. Since the room's completion, Sirius had had Peter watching the room, waiting for the day in which Lily was moved from the hospital wing into her new quarters. Apparently the nurses had decided that during the quidditch match, while almost the entire school was distracted, was the best time. At this moment, Lily Evans resided in the white room behind an old statue of armour.  
  
As Sirius muttered his thanks, a gleam of mischievous excitement shone bright in his eye. James noticed it, and wondered, but soon Sirius had brought himself back into control and returned to eating his roast beef.  
  
Although the strange dreams were still quite frequent, James had begun to accept them and lost some of his solitary mannerisms. He had actually enjoyed the game of quidditch and all the celebrations afterwards today - the first time James had done so since his dreams had commenced. Yet he was still happiest on his own, allowed to contemplate his own thoughts and ideas. Yes, alone was how he liked being. James quickly stood up from his half-finished dinner and left the table, purposefully heading to somewhere that he could be by himself.  
  
Sirius and Remus watched James leave their table with sad eyes.  
  
James was improving, certainly. But he still wasn't back to how he'd once been.  
  
***//\\//\\***  
  
The room looked different now that it was fully furnished; somewhat more cluttered... and certainly whiter now that it didn't even have the blocks of old brown wood to break up the regularity. Someone had replaced the elephant with a real bed. Sirius thought it a shame - his elephant had been a work of art, not to mention effort, and deserved its pride of place in this never ending whiteness.  
  
One thing did break up the white, however, and that was a spot of bright curly red hair, resting on the pillows and framing the face of Lily. Her fist clutched the blankets that lay tucked up to her neck, while her lips were parted slightly. Making Sirius' job all the easier.  
  
Stepping slowly closer to the sleeping girl, Sirius stopped suddenly as his weight made a floorboard beneath the white carpet creak. One of Lily's eyelids flickered, yet it seemed that was all her movement used up, for she did not wake. Sirius breathed a quiet sigh of relief and walked closer to her.  
  
Seeing her peaceful beauty, Sirius almost felt jealous of the girl that James was being given. Of course, Sandra was wonderful, but she could be slightly tiresome...  
  
Rather than letting himself think worse thoughts of his girlfriend, Sirius decided to get the job done. Reaching within his robes, Sirius pulled out the bundle of pink and red material. Carefully unwrapping it, he grasped the tightly stoppered viol and made quick work of removing the lid.  
  
Very little of the original red liquid remained, yet Sirius was certain that what was left would be more potent than four litres of the previous potion.  
  
Gently, he brought the viol close to Lily's open lips, and before doubt could halt him, tipped the bottle and dripped the liquid to her tongue.  
  
Not quite a kiss, he thought quietly to himself, whilst quietly praying that she wouldn't wake. Slightly, her lips moved, as she appeared to savour the taste. Deciding that he had already risked too much time, Sirius quickly wrapped the invisibility cloak he had... procured... around himself and rushed from the room.  
  
--- --- ---  
  
Upon a bed of stiff white sheets, within a room of white curtains, white blinds, white cupboards and white carpet, Lily Evans lay. Not knowing that she would wake quite soon, with only one thing on her mind.  
  
A/N  
  
Well. That's it. The end of Prelude. 'At long bloody last,' I can hear you muttering, and I must say that I quite agree. To me, Prelude has been an extremely long lot of nothingnesses. I realise that is not a word, Ariqua... Please do not attempt to correct it. ;o  
  
Once more, I give thanks to the great people at Fiction Alley who are being kind enough to review Revenge and to Ariqua, my superb beta-reader.  
  
Yes, I know this is a really short chapter, and that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense (particularly the toothbrush scene) but it is an epilogue, and I basically just wanted the whole thing over and done with. Lily Love is next on the list, and I'm expecting that to be a LOT of fun. Actually, I'm really looking forwards to writing Lily Love, and I mean really, really.   
  
So stick around! I'll write more soon.  
  
-wildcat- 


End file.
